Under Grace
by sarcasmIsOurStrength
Summary: Nick Wilde had given his all to achieve his dreams - to be more than just some fox. But when the cold indifference of reality came crashing down it left him broken and lost, waiting for the end. Salvation comes in many forms, but Nick never expected to find it from a wide-eyed bunny-cop; Judy Hopps.
1. Chapter I - Nearly There

**\- Authors' Notes -**

 **sarcasmIsOurStrength: This story is the result of the combined efforts of myself, WhatABummer (author of _Through a Glass, Darkly_ ) and Nehkles (author of _Prepared for the Future_ and _Don't You Remember?_ ).**

 **This first chapter - "Nearly There" - was penned by yours truly, and edited/deliberated on by both Nehkles and WhatABummer.**

 **Subsequent chapters will follow a similar pattern; first being drafted by one of us and then collaborated on by all.**

 **WhatABummer: So if you see pretentious quotes at the head of a chapter, it's because I was drafting XD**

 **Nehkles: I too helped make this in some capacity. Mostly in convincing the other two to start writing it.**

* * *

Chapter I - Nearly There

Tundratown had always been a breathtaking place. Even now, after countless visits to the district, Nick's breath was still ripped from his chest by the frigid air that coiled around his throat and sapped the strength from his bones.

Nick ignored it, that was easy enough to do. It didn't matter now. Nothing mattered, really.

He was done trying to think of ways out of this mess, there were none. His brain could concoct a hustle or scam to get him out of just about any situation, but this one left him clueless. And really, he wasn't sure he _deserved_ to get out of this.

He'd been on the streets for about four days now. Or was it five? He couldn't remember exactly - it was all starting to blend together.

Ever since he'd left the hospital, he'd been wandering around the city. With Finnick's van in the impound and him without a proper home anymore, Nick had nothing to do but walk the streets and wait. Wait for the Five Tails Gang to find him; wait until he starved, was shot or beaten.

Nick was waiting for death.

It was inevitable - The Tails' guys would find him sooner or later. So far he'd wandered around the Rainforest District, Sahara Square, and Savanna Central… every major district except for Tundratown, where Big was. Although he hadn't been spotted yet, every district he'd been to had the Tails' goons snooping around, so it was only a matter of time until he ran out of places to hide.

But at least if the Tails were looking for him, they wouldn't be looking for Finnick. That thought brought him a little comfort.

So the only place left to run, he deduced, was Tundratown. Even though he wanted nothing to do with Big's gang, he knew that the shrew's stranglehold on the district would prevent the Tail's goons from getting to him, so here he was. But not even Big's reach would keep him safe forever.

His jacket was tattered and ripped - apparently living on the street wore heavily on an article of clothing.. Nick idly picked at a ragged tear in the side and sighed wearily. His late father had made the jacket for him.

During one of his many dumpster dives, he'd found a few old rags that someone had thrown out, and he now used them as makeshift gloves.

The warmest part of his outfit, though, was the small bottle of Jack Savage's Premium Bunnyburrow Whiskey (90 proof) that he clung to. It wouldn't keep out the wind or the snow of this blasted storm, but it made him feel warmer than any of his clothing did.

As the wind roared and howled around him, his sharp eyes could make out the dull, hazy red glow of a bank sign through the icy fog.

Twenty below.

He shivered, hugging his arms to himself and rubbing vigorously.

If he stayed in the wind and snow like this he'd freeze to death in hours - a prospect that Nick found himself briefly considering. The dark thought flickered away as quick as it came, and Nick decided to do the best he could to find shelter. He stumbled forward through the driving wind and snow and staggered into the wall of the bank.

He felt his way down the wall, towards the rear of the bank. This wind was coming from the north, and if he could get to the southern end of the bank, he could at least keep some of it off of him.

Behind the building were some recycling bins, all filled with paper. He fumbled around in them for a few moments, before dragging out some newspapers. He laid some on the ground at his feet, and some more off to the side.

Drawing a breath, he pulled the cap off of his bottle and drained the last of the liquid fire down his throat. He acted quickly; he lay down onto the newspaper at his feet and did his best to cover up his body with the rest before the false warmth of the liquor was leeched from him.

As the chill subsided and he regained a comfortable numbness, he wondered if his last dollars would have been better spent on something other than liquor.

 _Nah. There's nothing I could have bought that would delay the inevitable any longer… I may as well spend my last moments alive with a little buzz_ , he thought.

As he closed his eyes, he thought back through his years. He thought of his fondest memories: running up to his father and leaping into his arms, his mother reading him bedtime stories, the nights they would all spend together, cozy on their pathetic excuse for a couch watching family sitcoms on TV.

That was all gone now, and there was no bringing it back.

He didn't _want_ to die.

He _wanted_ to fix everything - he wanted to leap up from where he laid, go grab Finnick and to prove to the world that he wasn't just some stereotypical fox that could never amount to anything more than a thief and degenerate…

But that was the exact kind of thinking that led him to where he was - freezing and drunk in a pile of old newspapers.

He had dared to dream, and endeavored to try; but in the end, the world won. He'd been a fool.

In a feeble attempt to achieve his dream, he'd become a hustler and con-fox. He had allowed himself to be _exactly_ what everyone else had him pegged as, just so he could start to get ahead.

When he finally _did_ get the money to try and jumpstart his vision, it was all brushed away in one fell swoop.

" _Try everything"_ , so the song went. Well he did, and he was left with nothing to show for it but the lingering memory of the smell of smoke.

As soon as this storm passed, his body would be found; frozen to the ground.

The police report would say he was just some fox with alcohol in his system that had laid down and died during the storm. A no-account, low-life vulpine that met his unfortunate demise when he tried to fight old man winter. Just another day in Zootopia.

There'd be no sign, no mention of how he had given his all to achieve a dream, or that he had even dared to dream of being more in the first place.

Nick drew a breath and sighed, his breath making less steam than ever before. He knew he was colder than he'd ever been, but all he could focus on was how tired he felt.

As he descended into unconsciousness, he let his mind wander back to his happy memories, focusing on his parents both hugging him when he was young. He'd been so happy, so warm.

Nick opened his eyes one last time, idly noting the black cloud on the edges of his vision. He was done fighting.

"I'm coming guys." he whispered, shut his eyes, and let sleep take him.

Nick was almost home.

* * *

Tundratown was always a breathtaking place to be. Judy would never forget the first time she'd laid eyes on it; the blinding glare of the sun shining off the snow had blinded her when the train burst from the tunnel. A massive columns of snow had burst from vents on either side of the train and surrounded it in a momentary blizzard. Judy found herself smiling in wonder every time she came to the district.

Well, _almost_ every time. During the daytime, the precarious icicles hanging from buildings, the welcoming smell of the occasional wood-burning fireplace and the sounds of children playing and laughing in the snow could make even the most stoic of mammals crack a smile, but the Tundratown nights were much different.

With the absence of the sun's warmth and the ever-running climate coolers, temperatures would drop below freezing, as they did every night. It didn't help that it was late January either - the dead of winter.

But despite the cold air temperature, howling wind and threat of frostbite, the ZPD's smallest officer was bound and determined to get the one last witness statement she needed before it got too late out. Had this witness lived almost _anywhere_ else in the city, she would have driven her cruiser to the address, but with the sudden onset of a _real_ winter storm on top of the already frozen tundra, she decided it would be best to walk to avoid having a wreck on the ice.

The witness visit went just as she'd expected. Judy had knocked on the door, introduced herself as ZPD, started to ask some questions about Mafia activity in the area and promptly had the door shut in her face. As frustrating as it was though, she could at least vaguely understand why mammals had an aversion to the police around here, especially if it had anything to do with the Big Family. Even those that the infamous shrew didn't have directly under his thumb didn't _dare_ to cross him, or else they'd suffer the consequences. And many harbored a sense of loyalty for the Family; as much of a criminal as Big was, he had made it his mission to protect and improve Tundratown.

The Chief had told her to expect no less. Bogo had been around just about as long as any other cop on the force, and this wasn't their first encounter with the Bigs. The buffalo had warned Judy not to expect much cooperation from potential witnesses, and that if the witnesses wouldn't talk, they'd figure out a different approach later on.

Gathering her thoughts for a moment, she turned from the door she'd come a half inch from kissing and headed back out towards her cruiser. Despite her best efforts at quick travel, she hadn't found the address until about fifteen minutes after nine; well past sunset during these winter months.

The walk back would take her about fifteen or twenty minutes, and she didn't fancy freezing to death tonight, so she made haste.

Despite the cold, she couldn't help but stare in awe at the beauty of Tundratown at night. The blizzard may have been terrifying, but like the awe inspiring display of a summer monsoon - flashing with lightning and rattling with thunder - if viewed from the safety of a dry house, it was beautiful. The grandiose display of nature's power coupled with the modern technology of the climate wall that danced above her head helped her forget some of her woes.

While Judy had been working with the ZPD for a year now, she still didn't feel like she was doing anything to _make the world a better place_. So far, she'd been writing a lot of parking and traffic tickets, gathering witness statements and generally just being the "go-for" of Precinct One. But even as dull and monotonous as her days could be, she always woke each morning with a smile on her face and the drive in her heart to always _try_. If nothing else, she could help the elderly across the street, rescue stray balls for children playing outside or even simply hold the door open for someone. Anything she could do to help improve someone's day, if only a little, was totally worth it to her.

"Do someone a good turn," she had been lectured as a kit, "and they'll do one for someone else." And she'd seen it work wonders before.

As Judy strolled into the lot of the bank she parked at, she noticed the sign out front that read "-21 F".

 _Wow,_ she thought, hugging the thick wool of her coat tight around her. _Thank goodness I have this winter gear, or I'd probably be dead by now._

The wind picked up and she heard a small, metallic _clank_ come from the corner of the bank, near the garbage cans, followed by what she _swore_ was the barest hint of a groan. Had it been any other mammal that lacked the keen hearing of a rabbit, it would have gone missed entirely.

Curiosity overcame her, and Judy cautiously walked over to the cans, fingers poised to draw her weapon if necessary.

She rounded the corner and as the cans came into clear view, she could see a mammal behind them.

It was a fox, who lay curled up into a ball, tail covering the tip of his muzzle.

For a second Judy feared that the fox before her was already dead, until she saw his chest rise in a slow and much too shallow breath. The fox wore an old, tattered jacket that _couldn't_ have been very warm, had old rags on his hands and was attempting to use old newspapers like blankets.

Very gently, Judy gave the mammal a light shake.

With glacial slowness, the fox turned over and Judy could see that falling snow clung to his fur and his muzzle leaving it with a greyed appearance from the frost that had formed there.

His eyelids slowly raised, exposing the most vibrant shade of emerald that Judy had ever seen. The brightness of the fox's eyes stood in stark contrast to the weariness etched into his every feature.

"You're not Mom," he managed to choke out before his eyes drooped shut again. "Guess I'm not dead yet …"

Judy shivered, but not from the cold.

The rabbit shivered at the disappointment that dripped from the fox's shaky words.


	2. Chapter II - In Dreams Awake

**\- Author's Notes -**

 **Draft Author: Nehkles**

 **So it was my turn to draft the chapter. Hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter II - In Dreams Awake

Judy had no doubt in her mind - this fox needed help.

She had no idea how long he'd been curled up under those newspapers, but judging by the amount of snow that had managed to cover his sleeping form, it was much too long..

But how long didn't matter. If he stayed out here in this blizzard he was going to die, and she wouldn't allow that.

In all her time at the ZPD, this was the first chance to _actually_ help somebody. Not just holding a door for them or helping someone cross the street. In a real, immediate sense; this fox _needed_ her help.

Judy could be the difference between life and death for this fox. Every day she woke hoping to make the world a better place, and now she finally had the opportunity.

She cleared her head and assessed the situation. The empty fifth of whiskey at his side suggested that he already had at least a decent amount of alcohol in his system. It would've helped make him _feel_ warm, but that was only going to make sure he froze faster. The jacket he wore was tattered and torn in a few places, so the fox had been out on the street for some time. His breathing was slow and shallow, and he made no further attempt to acknowledge her.

"Hey, Sir? Are you okay?" she said gently, but the fox lay there, unnervingly still. Only the occasion rise of his chest reassured Judy that he was still alive.

"Sir?" she repeated, moving her paws forward and nudging the fox once again. He only gave light flinches in response. He was either in great pain, or close to passing out. Possibly both.

 _C'mon, Judy. Remember your training. This fox needs you._

She wasted no time checking the fox's pulse, moving her paw onto his wrist until she found the slow, rhythmic beat. It was far lower than any healthy mammal's heartbeat should be, especially one of his size. And his paw was far too cold not to be risking frostbite, even with the tattered, old cloth he'd wrapped around them.

This fox needed to be warmed up, **now**. Not only that, but he would require medical attention as well, and not just for his physical condition. The way he waved off death as just a minor inconvenience - even seeming to lust after it - chilled her to the bone more deeply than the winter storm was doing to them both.

In weather like this the roads would be have begun to ice over. It could take up to twenty minutes for an ambulance from St. Balto's of Tundratown to arrive, and that was the closest hospital. The paramedics definitely would be able to help this fox more than Judy and her rudimentary first aid skills, but she wasn't sure he had time enough to wait.

No. This poor vulpine needed help, and she would damn well be the one to do it.

Using that same strength of her's that had always surprised her family, friends and co-workers, she managed to lift the fox to his feet. He was groggy and unresponsive to everything she asked him - all but dead weight. The fox only leaned on her as she guided him to the adjacent parking lot where her cruiser sat. With a grunt of exertion, the rabbit forced open the passenger door and tried to direct the fox to climb inside, which he thankfully did. The fox collapsed onto the seat and once again curled up so that his tail covered the front of his muzzle.

Blood pumping loudly in her ears, Judy moved quickly to the back of the cruiser, jumping up on top of the bumper and unlocking the trunk. She pulled out a thermal blanket, and a bottle of water for the fox to have. It would be a bit cold considering the weather, but the alcohol he consumed would have caused some dehydration. If she could stave off that complication it would greatly improve her chances of making it to the hospital without a dead fox on her paws.

Slamming the trunk closed with a bit more force than she intended, she returned to the passenger seat where the fox still laid, shivering as his body attempted to warm itself. She threw the blanket on top of him, tucking it in and making sure that not a speck of him was left uncovered.

Judy placed the water in his paws, which grasped around it almost instantly. Whether it was his own doing or simply a reflex, she didn't know.

Rushing back over to the driver seat, she jammed the keys into the ignition, gave them a twist, and the cruiser roared to life. She wasted no time switching the heater to full blast, and fox seemed to have an immediate reaction to the warm embrace of the air. This was not cause for celebration however, as the fox's movement became still as Judy pulled out of the parking lot and into the icy streets. Passing out wouldn't do this mammal any good. Instead, it would only make his body more willing to let go.

She needed to keep him awake.

"C'mon, stay with me, Sir." the rabbit said as she reached over and gave him a few nudges, her eyes still fixed on the road.

With a bit more insistence from Judy, the fox eventually started to move around more in the seat. She peeked over briefly to see that his eyes were now open, scanning the entire inside of the cruiser.

"Sir, stay calm, alright? I'm gonna…" she started before the fox cut her off.

"The hell?" he said, voice raspy as he looked around, still getting a grasp on where he was. He slowly moved from his curled up position into a normal sitting one, still wrapped up and shivering inside the blanket.

"Well this issn't the dream I thought I'd be havin' while freezin' ta death." the fox slurred.

Judy didn't have time to focus on what he _thought_ was happening. She just needed to make sure he was conscious, so his odds of making it to the hospital would remain high.

"Yeah, pretty weird. Do me a favor and start drinking some of that, would you?" she asked as she pointed to the plastic bottle in his paws.

"Oh, some of the fiiinest overpriced tap water on th' meercat. And they say my hustles are criminal … this is outright robbery!" The fox gave a chuckle that quickly devolved into a shivering cough.

"Ya know, this is a damn weeerd dream… never thought I'd dream up a bunny officer either." He took a chug from the bottle, bringing it down to around its halfway point.

"I rully am messed up. I ever tell you how messed up I am, Officer Dream Bunny?" he said, and Judy looked over to see him looking at her with a surprisingly sweet, almost amused expression. She raised an eyebrow at him, confused at where his ramblings were going.

"Uh… no. Look sir, just sit tight and let me…"

"Guess that makes sense..." the fox let out, interrupting her once again. "Haven't seen you before. And I'd remember a bunny as cute as you."

 _Oh great. Another one of the drunks that starts to come onto me. Never expected a fox to be one of them._ Judy thought. Her one year as an officer has had her break up more than a couple drunken brawls, a few of which involved a rabbit or hare that decided she would be a worthwhile prize. Thinking that usually resulted in being pepper sprayed, cuffed, and brought back to the precinct.

"And don't get mad at me for saying that. One, you ain't even real. Two, you're not just regular bunny cute, you're like, _trully_ cute. Beautiful, even… I've never seen a bunny with _purple_ eyes. Issat only for dream bunnies?"

Judy had to admit, his words were having more of an impact on her than all those previous drunken idiots combined, since they seemed genuine instead of simply hormone-driven, but she still focused on the street, making sure to watch out for any particularly slick stretches of road.

"Sir, you're not dreaming." she said flatly.

"Psshaw, you lie. Badly too I might add… I mean what kind of bunny officer would bother to help some washed up loser fox anyway? An imaginary one, that's what kind." he said, beginning to fiddle with the door handle. Judy quickly locked the doors, causing the fox to pay no mind to them anymore.

"Erhh," Nick grunted. "How'd I forget tha' iss' been s'long since I ate?"

"Are you hungry, Sir?" Judy began. "Don't worry about 'll get some food once we get to the hospital."

The response Judy expected, him making a slurred remark about him not having an empty stomach anymore never came. No response came. She looked over to see the fox starring at her wide eyed.

"You're going to the hospital?"" a sudden soberness had come over the fox, and Judy clearly heard panic and fear dripping from his words.

"Yes, they'll get you checked out and make sure you're…"

"No! No, no, no, no I can't go there. I _won't_ go."

"Wha… Sir, please. Everything will be fine, I'll be there with you every step of…"

"NO!" he yelled this time, causing Judy to flich.

"There's nothing you could do inside that place that would help me. I ain't going in one of those damn buildings. Not even when I'm dreaming." His emerald eyes were piercing her the entire time he spoke, making sure Judy knew he wasn't kidding. For whatever reason, this guy _really_ didn't like hospitals.

"Sir, you…" Judy began, but she found herself stumped at how to respond.

"Looky here Ossifer Carrots, I don't know why th' heck my mind is thinkin' this whole thing up right now, but I don't really see it going anywhere besides a nightmare I can do without. I mean, can't I have one lousy nice dream before I kick the bucket? That too much ta ask?"

Judy took a quick glance at the fox, who was slumped against the window of the cruiser, his playful manner evaporated in an instant.

"How about you just pull over so I can get this over with?"

 _That_ was not an option. Whatever this guy had before Judy found him must have been pretty strong. Not a whole lot of booze in that size of a bottle could convince a mammal they were dreaming. It could've been the whiskey that was made back in Bunnyburrow, as that was always some strong stuff, but she hadn't checked the bottle.

Regardless, this fox needed to stay in the car.

"Uh… how about I… take you somewhere to eat then? Get a little bit of grub in your system."

"See, now you're speaking my language, hoppity coppity." The fox said, easing comfortable back into the passenger seat and pulling the blanket tighter around him.

"Okay, good. There should be a…"

"Bugaburger nearby. Take a left at the next light, take a right at Cabral Street, head straight for a couple blocks. Can't miss it."

"Wha… How did you…?" Judy said, bewildered by his sudden sense of awareness.

"Lifelong resident, Fluffers. I could make my way down these streets in my sleep. Hell, I'm doin' that right now!" he said, and let out a short, drunken chuckle.

Judy had to admit, she was impressed with the fox's navigation skills. She followed his directions to the letter and found the fast-food joint a few blocks directly in front of her. She'd lived in Zootopia for a little over a year now, and thought she was getting pretty good at navigating the streets, but this guy put her to shame. Even half-drunk and nearly freezing, he could still find his way around.

She pulled into the drive-thru, taking the time to very quickly scan over the menu before turning to her passenger. He spoke up before Judy could even ask.

"Number 3, hold the mayo, and… oh! Sweet potato fries. Don't worry about ketchup. Oh and ya' know what? I wanna Junior Chomper meal too, don't really care which."

"Aren't you a little old for that?" Judy asked.

"Lissen, this your first day as a dream bunny or somethin'? S'my dream, and I wanna chomper meal. Jus' like when Dad used to take me …"

A creeping note of sadness had worked its way into the fox's last words, before he trailed off.

"Uh… sure thing." She said, before she relayed his order to the worker.

Judy paid for the meal at the window, and while waiting for the food , she began considering exactly what she was going to do with the sloshed fox in her cruiser. She didn't want to risk taking him to a hospital, considering his reaction to the idea earlier, but he still needed to be looked at. That blanket and five dollars worth of food he was going to stuff himself with wasn't going to last forever.

When the elk working the window handed Judy the bag, she could feel her passenger flimsily reaching over and trying to grab the bag from her. After giving him a brief look, he calmed down, and she handed over his cheap, fatty meal. With speed that Judy wouldn't expect from someone who was on the verge of freezing to death not more than fifteen minutes ago, he tore open the bugburger and chomped a large chunk right out of it.

"Mmm…" he let out as his eyes rolled back in his head.

"Never thought this could taste so good. Maybe it's the fact that I haven't had good food in a while, or maybe food's just better when you're dreaming," he said before taking another colossal bite.

"How long is a while?" Judy asked, pulling into the street and moving down the road, hoping to get out of Tundratown and find the fox some warmth.

"Oh… four, maybe five days now. Ran outta money on the second, been making due with what I can since then. Well I _was_ , but we both know where I am now." he said, throwing a few sweet potato fries into his mouth, before letting out a few more excited, child-like giggles.

The fox dug into the bag and pulled out the Junior Chomper meal. He opened the cardboard box and leaned his head forward to look inside.

"Ah! There it is …"

The fox pulled his head back and shoved a paw into the box to quickly withdraw a small plastic figure of the Buga mascot, a grinning beaver in the company uniform. A dopey smile came over the fox's face as he stared wistfully at the cheap plastic toy.

"This really is a weird dream. Almost feels real." he said, looking up from the toy to take a good long look out the window, watching the cars drive by.

"But hey, if my brain wants to dream about carrot-eating cops and free Bugaburger who'm I ta' argue? I may as well enjoy it while it lasts..." he trailed off, voice growing somber.

"It'll all be over soon enough."

And there it was again. Anything the fox had said that managed to get on Judy's nerves instantly melted away the second he went _there_ again. He was so willing to accept death like it was nothing. Inevitable. Welcome even. What had happened to him that caused him to just give up?

She was broken from her thoughts by the sound the fox letting out a hefty breath as he finished off the last of the water bottle.

"I e'er tell you bout how easily you can make money offa lemmings?" he began, "Love Popsicles. S' a Goldmine I tell ya. S'even legal ... kinda. So you don't get in trouble with the Dream Police." he said, pointing to the badge on her chest. He took another small bite out of the burger, and Judy noticed his eyes and ears getting progressively droopier.

"Ya know I almost got ta' have badges like that ... would'a been neat ..."

The somber, wistful tone was back. As focused on the road as she was Judy almost missed the words the fox mumbled under his breath.

" ... promise to be ... brave ... loyal ..."

Judy's ears perked up; she _knew_ that phrasing. She'd made almost the exact same promise as a kit in the Bunny Scouts.

"Wait, sir, go back ... what were you mumbling?"

The fox looked at her quizzically.

"Aint' you a' supposed to know all that already?"

Thinking fast, Judy responded,

"Oh, I do ... but I need you to tell me so you can confront your inner demons ."

"Oh, issat right? Well, it was just another dream I had … long time ago."

The fox gave a heavy sigh before Judy could inquire further.

"God, what a joke my life is … was..." he continued, each word gradually losing more it's cheer.

"Lemme ask you somethin' bunny. If this is a dream, ain't you supposed to start givin' me some reason to live at some point, like in _Issa Won'erful Life_?" he said, before his facade of detachment cracked and he let out a choked sob. "Cause if so, now would be a great time."

Judy was at a loss for how to respond. This fox was a rollercoaster of emotions, and the rabbit knew one false step could derail the whole thing.

"I don't _wanna_ die, you know? I jus' don't see this ending any other way. And s'probably too late now …I've gotta be nearly frozen solid if I'm dreaming about bunny cops with purple eyes who - unlike e'ry other prey I ever met - seems to... actually..." the fox let out a loud yawn "care ... 'bout... me."

The fox's words were getting slower, and Judy took a quick glance. He was slumped over, leaning heavily against the passenger door. His eyes were heavily lidded, and were starting to droop.

"For wha's worth, you're the bes' dream bun I ever met … s'been really ... " the fox paused to let out another yawn. "... nice. Was … scared of dying alone."

Judy's attention snapped immediately to the fox and it was met with that vibrant emerald gaze again. Judy shivered when she saw the smile on the fox's face; it was one of pure contentment and appreciation.

"Think … I'm finally ready … to … sleep."

His viridescent eyes disappeared from view as his eyelids drooped, his head tucking itself into his arms.

Judy acted quickly, activating the cruiser's cab lights and moving to the side of the road. She moved her ear over the fox's chest, and let out a sigh of relief as the steady bumping sound pierced her eardrum.

He was still alive, but that didn't mean he was okay.

The blanket and the cruiser's heat had done their jobs; the fox was now warmed up, so the threat of hypothermia would be greatly lessened, so long as he could dry off. His body was fine, but his mind needed help. The fox sounded like he didn't have a place to stay, or at least he never told her about one. She had to consider her options.

She could go against his wishes and take him to the hospital. While he would receive any care he needed and be looked after for a little while, Judy knew that would end badly. He freaked out pretty hard when she just brought up the idea of going to the hospital, so having him wake up in one would be a whole lot worse. On top of that, he was a homeless _fox_. They'd probably patch him up, hold him until the storm blew over and throw him back out on the street. With no insurance, and therefore no way to pay the bills, there wasn't much they could do for him beyond give him a quick once-over to make sure he was physically okay, then it would be back to the streets.

She could head to the nearest homeless shelter and drop him off there. It would give him some food, a place to stay, and avoid any undue complications involving medical staff. But that wouldn't _really_ help him. Judy would be just making him someone else's problem, and based on what she knew now, he needed someone to talk to.

And Judy had to admit, being constantly referred to as "Dream Bunny" _was_ pretty flattering. The fox, despite his drunken state, was charming.

But it was clear, this fox needed _her_ to talk to. His faith in mammality was so low, he thought that no one would ever help him, let alone a bunny. No, Judy could **not** shove him off to be somebody else's problem. This fox needed her to help him find a reason to live again, and there was no way she could do that if she left him at a shelter. She could make a difference in his life - do her small part to _make the world a better place_.

That left Judy with only one option.

She just hoped her neighbors wouldn't be too loud.


	3. Chapter III - Awakening

**\- Author's Notes -**

 **Draft Author: WhatABummer**

 **This turned out to be much longer than I thought it'd be. But writing banter between these two is just too damn fun, I couldn't help myself.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter III - Awakening

Nick's thoughts were scattered; his past, present, and future were a tumultuous whirl of ideas and visions. Occasionally he would emerge from the maelstrom into a moment of clarity, a fragment of a memory, some half-understood thought.

His father showing him how to tie a Pratt knot for the first time.

The bone-chilling, numbing cold and a flurry of snow falling.

Sudden, gentle warmth and a bunny with violet eyes.

The crashing of timbers and the crumpled form of a fennec.

The taste of warm, greasy food. A dream bunny cop, and the quiet _whoosh_ of a car heater.

Anger, rage. The taste of blood and the suffocating smell of smoke. The searing heat of a fire.

His thoughts were beginning to coalesce, and with it came a steady pounding. A throbbing of pain in Nick's head that sounded like a bass drum, deep and steady to the beating of his heart. He felt the muffling chaos of his dreams begin to fall away as he began to rise towards consciousness. The fox began to regret waking up, groaning softly as the distinctive malaise and headache of a hangover began to dominate his awareness.

The fox felt warm, almost feverish. Nick would feel like panting if he didn't feel like someone had shoved a wad of cotton balls into his mouth. Lethargically, the fox brought his paws to clutch at this aching head. If this was what being dead was like, he really regretted letting himself freeze behind that bank. Judging from the warmth and the pain, Nick idly wondered if this was Hell.

But as the fox considered this, he realized it felt too all to similar to the results of a half dozen other nights of debauchery. No, this felt real. Death was supposed to be a quiet oblivion, the lack of feeling... And the relentless pounding in his temples was anything but the lack of feeling.

Nick took a deep breath and tried to gather his wits. He could tell he was on a bed covered in a heavy blanket, and was curled around something soft. A pillow perhaps. Stretching his limbs, Nick very quickly realized this bed was much smaller than any made for a fox. He also seemed to be surrounded by an array of small, lumpy objects.

Though Nick could scarcely wonder at what they were; he suddenly felt thirstier than he could ever remember being. He _needed_ water. A lot of it.

Nick weighed his options. He could lie on this bed, groaning in pain and wilting from thirst, or he could open his eyes and find something to drink - an effort that Nick knew from experience would be excruciating.

It was a tough decision, but Nick finally cracked his eyes open. Thankfully, the room he was in was dark - though not dark enough for his already light sensitive eyes. The fox blinked and felt a surge of pain in his head. When at last his vision had cleared, the fox looked blearily around the room.

The room was small, clearly designed for a smaller mammal. Something around Finnick's size, Nick thought. A single bed, nightstand, desk, mini-fridge and microwave were immediately visible, but there didn't appear to be any other mammals in the room. Looking down, Nick saw that the lumps he'd noticed was, in fact, an army of stuffed rabbits haphazardly arrayed around the bed. An alarm clock on the nightstand beside him revealed the time to be 1:04 PM.

But Nick's attention was immediately drawn to the large glass of water - still moist with condensate - that had been placed there along with a folded piece of paper with a note:

 _Mr. Wilde,_

 _Drink this and take the painkillers when you wake up. You had quite a night!_

 _I've just stepped out for some food and some clothes, be back soon!_

 _Judy Hopps_

Sure enough a couple of pills were under the note. Nick gingerly reached out with his paw to collect the pills and grabbed the glass. He threw the pills into his mouth and chugged the almost divine liquid. He couldn't remember anything more satisfying than the feeling of the cool water running down his throat.

Nick sighed in relief and returned the glass to the nightstand. A wave of fatigue crashed over the fox, and - failing to see any immediate danger - Nick decided to lie back down until the painkillers kicked in.

Clutching his aching head, the fox considered his situation; he clearly wasn't dead … which he wasn't sure how to feel about yet. Further, he clearly wasn't in the custody of the Tails. Nick took a deep breath through his nose.

It smelled like rabbit. This excited Nick on a primal level, but his rational mind pieced together what he'd begun to suspect; the dream bunny was real. This Judy Hopps had taken him in from the cold. He didn't believe it, but still - he couldn't deny the evidence in front of him. At the very least, the Tails wouldn't have given him this kind of welcome.

But despite it all, the fox couldn't bring himself to question things too much. This was the first time in over a week that Nick had spent in a bed, and questions be damned … Nick was going to enjoy this. The fox pulled the blanket up and nuzzled into the pillow. The throbbing in his head had begun to ebb.

And in a few minutes, Nick passed into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Nick awoke to a pair of barely muffled voices from the room next door.

"You think the fox is awake yet?"

"I dunno … I still can't believe she took in a homeless mammal like that."

"What, you wouldn't? Poor fox needed some help."

"Maybe, but from a rabbit? I mean, I know she's a super-cop and everything, but you know … a fox and a rabbit? They're natural enemies! It's just a bit weird."

"Bucky … What about an Oryx and Kudu? That's just as strange. I think it's great."

"Well sure Pronk … but I'm just worried. Judy's great, I don't want her to get hurt or anything."

"She can handle herself. And besides, if anything happens we're here!"

"Us? What are we going to do? Run away really fast?"

"Oh come on! Grow a spine Bucky … It's just one fox."

"Have you seen their claws? The teeth? "

"Bucky …"

"What? I'm not being speciesist here … it's just a fact."

The neighbors' discussion devolved from there, but it was more than enough to rouse Nick from his slumber.

Nick sat up, and immediately noted that he felt much better than before. His headache had faded into a barely noticeable ache, and he no longer felt as though he had been run over by a truck.

The fox rubbed at his eyes, glancing again at the clock on the nightstand. 1:37 PM.

Nick went to swing his legs over the side of the bed, when he suddenly realized he was all but naked. Clad in nothing but his boxers, the fox drew the covers of the rabbit-sized bed up. Before he could locate his clothes, his ears twitched as he heard the rustling of someone approaching the door to the apartment.

There was a jingle, and a soft curse - "Oh sweet cheese and crackers …" - before he heard the sound of a key being fitted into the lock of the door. Nick saw the lock turn and with a click the door swung open.

The bunny doe in the doorway was dressed in a purple blouse that hung loose over a black tank top. She backed into the apartment, heavily laden with a brown paper bag that contained groceries of some kind, Nick supposed.

She backed into the apartment and - with a practiced flourish - kicked the door closed behind her before turning to face Nick.

It was her. His dream bunny.

The bunny paused when she noticed Nick staring, before a wide smile spread across her face.

"Mr. Wilde! Good to see you're up. How are you feeling?"

The bunny softly padded over and placed the bag on top of the mini-fridge before turning her full attention to the fox in her bed.

"Me? … I, uh … I feel fine I guess." Nick stammered, trying to find words in the face of someone he thought was just a fantasy. "The water and painkillers really helped. Thank you."

The bunny's smile widened, and Nick couldn't help but think it beautiful.

"I'm glad to hear that! I was really scared, you know. You weren't in the best shape last night …"

Nick couldn't seem to tear his gaze from the rabbit's violet eyes. He was suddenly aware of how underdressed he was, pulling the covers of the small bed up over his chest.

"I hope you're hungry, Mr. Wilde." The bunny continued, turning to rummage in the brown paper bag. "I wasn't sure what to get you, but seeing how much you enjoyed the Buga, I hope this sweet potato cricket casserole will be okay."

The rabbit fished out a plastic container and fork from the bag and proffered it to the stunned fox.

Surprised by the turn of events, Nick reached out to take the container. As he did so, the covers slipped slightly, and Nick scrambled to cover himself.

At that, the bunny laughed - a melodious sound. "Oh, I'm sorry.I had to get you out of your clothes. They were soaked through. But don't worry, I've got them in the dryer downstairs. They should be done …" The doe glanced at the clock. "Oh! Any minute now."

The rabbit smiled broadly before fishing back into the brown bag to pull out another plastic container - a salad this time. With an easy jump, the rabbit leapt up to sit on the desk beside the bed.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Dig in!" The rabbit encouraged Nick.

Nick looked down at the casserole in his hands, before looking back at the rabbit.

"I don't have any cash, you know. I can't pay you back."

The rabbit cocked her head in confusion.

"What? Oh! You silly fox, this is on me! Say what you will about this closet…" The rabbit gestured widely to the small apartment. "The rent's cheap, so I can afford buying a mammal lunch. So go on, dig in!"

His gaze never leaving the rabbit, Nick popped the top to the casserole. The wonderful aroma of fresh food filled his nostrils and the fox felt his stomach grumble. Nick brought a bite to his muzzle; it tasted heavenly.

This was the second time she'd fed him, helped him without any expectation of recompense. Nick didn't know what to make of it.

"Thank you. I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything Mr. Wilde, just eat! You've got to be hungry."

The grumbling in the fox's stomach confirmed this, and Nick was happy to shovel the warm food into his muzzle. For a time, the fox and rabbit sat in silence - each enjoying their meal.

Nick finished the food quickly, shoveling the food into his muzzle. When he at last had finished, he looked up to see the rabbit watching him, eyes filled with mirth.

"See, you _were_ hungry!"

Nick swallowed the last bite, smiling sheepishly.

"Yeah, that happens when you haven't eaten anything for a week. Say … uh, you don't have something-"

The rabbit held up a paw, and kicked open the door to the mini-fridge.

"Well, looks like I've got some carrot juice, some water … some blueberry soda …"

Nick felt his eyebrows perk at the last. The rabbit laughed.

"Alrighty, blueberry soda it is."

The rabbit reached down, grabbed a can and lobbed it to the fox. Nick caught it in his paws, popped the tab of the can and drank deeply.

Nick cleared his throat, and let out a satisfied burp. The rabbit sitting on the desk laughed at that, and the fox saw her face was radiating happiness as she dug into her own salad.

This just served to further confuse the fox.

"Look … Don't get me wrong here, I _really_ appreciate what you've done for me. But I don't understand."

Nick lowered the can of soda to the nightstand and studied the rabbit.

"Why are you doing this?"

The rabbit's brow furrowed as she considered the question.

"I'm a cop. That's what we do. We help mammals who need it."

Nick cocked his head, before slowly shaking it.

"No … no. Sorry fluff, but taking me into your apartment? Buying me food, twice? That's not what cops do. Not for foxes."

The rabbit frowned.

"That's not right. We help every mammal, and that's what I'm doing. I couldn't let you freeze out there. You being a fox had nothing to do with it."

She looked back at Nick with a fiery gaze, almost daring him to challenge her.

A quiet moment passed between them before Nick spoke.

"Listen, about last night … I don't really remember much, but I hope I didn't d-"

"You were a complete gentlefox."

The rabbit had an amused grin on her face.

"Really, you were actually quite flattering. Definitely out of it though."

"I see." Nick said pensively.

An awkward moment passed where Nick looked at every part of the room that didn't contain a rabbit, which admittedly wasn't much.

After a minute of silence, Judy lowered her now empty bowl to the desk and looked at the fox in her bed.

"Why were you out there?" the rabbit asked softly.

"Nowhere else to be, I guess …" Nick said evasively before continuing with a growl. "Look, I appreciate all of this … I really do. But I just woke up in a stranger's bed, basically naked with a major hangover. You'll forgive me if I'm not feeling much like sharing."

The rabbit raised an eyebrow at the fox.

"Are you mad at me?"

"What? Why would-"

"For stopping you."

Nick recoiled in surprise. He started to stammer a denial, a mocking quip … something.

But before the fox could form the words, he realized she was right. He _was_ mad at her for stopping him. The fox looked down at his paws, and felt his anger dissipate. This rabbit had been nothing but kind - kinder than any mammal since his parents. Kinder than he had any right to be treated.

Judy saw the flickering of emotions dance over the fox's face that resolved into the same harrowing look she'd seen last night. Maybe she'd pushed too hard there.

"Look, why don't we start over. I'm Judy Hopps." the rabbit said.

Nick looked up and saw Judy was smiling and had extended her paw. The fox swallowed, before a small smile found its way onto his muzzle.

"Yeah … ok." Nick took the rabbit's paw and shook it. "I'm Nick. Nick Wilde."

"It's a pleasure, Mr. Wilde!" Judy said sunnily.

"Oh no, call me anything but that … Mr. Wilde's what they called my dad. Nick is fine."

"Ok Nick, then call me Judy. All my friends do."

"Hmmm …" Nick made a show of tapping the tip of his muzzle. "I _could_ call you Judy … but that's so boring, don'tcha think?

The rabbit looked at Nick quizzically.

"How about 'Carrots'?"

Judy couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Oh for Frith's sake … that's a stereotype. Carrots aren't even that good for us, ok?" the rabbit said with a huff.

But when she looked back at the fox, she could see him smiling broadly. Genuinely. Her indignation evaporated.

"Carrots it is then." Nick said with a chuckle. "So what's the plan here? I mean, I'd love nothing more than to lounge in your bed half-naked for the rest of the day …"

"Oh sweet cheese and crackers!" Judy said and leapt to her paws, skipping to the door.

The rabbit ripped open the door and was halfway out before pausing and turning back to Nick.

"Uh, don't go anywhere … Your clothes should be dry here, I'm just going to go grab them before somebody throws them on the floor."

And with that, the door slammed shut behind her leaving the fox alone again.

Nick blinked at Judy's whirlwind departure. That rabbit was fast.

The fox glanced around the room idly, his gaze falling on a small collection of photographs on the desk across from the bed. Curious, Nick got to his paws and walked to the desk.

Nick had never given much thought to rabbits. They were cute and had big families. Both of those things were supported by the pictures; at least a dozen rabbits of various ages smiling at the camera in one, and a smaller group in the second. Nick chuckled at the pastoral setting, the family patriarch in overalls and a baseball cap emblazoned with a carrot. Stereotype his fluffy butt.

But looking over the pictures, Nick couldn't help but stare at the violet-eyed rabbit who dominated each frame. There she was, his dream bunny.

Night thought's were interrupted by a voice through the wall behind him.

"Hey, fox! You there?"

"Didn't you hear? His name's Nick, Pronk … and shhh!"

"What? I just want to know if he's there. You there fox?"

Nick turned around to face the wall behind him, picture still in hand.

"Uh … yeah, I'm here. Hello?"

He heard a flurry of activity on the other side of the wall, and muffled voices.

"Oh crap, he's there Bucky."

"What? Of course he's there! Weren't you listening a second ago?"

"Well yeah, but I mean …"

"Why the heck are you bothering him anyway?"

"I just wanted to be sure he's not going to … you know."

Nick's expression furrowed.

"I'm not going to what?" The fox enquired.

"Oh you've done it now Bucky" Pronk admonished.

"Shhh, Pronk … Look fox, we're just looking after our neighbor ok?"

"Right …" Nick said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "You're looking out for the poor defenseless bunny. Making sure the conniving fox isn't up to no good."

"See Bucky, speciesist." Pronk again chided.

"No, I'm not … I just … Shut up!"

"No, you shut up!"

Again, the two devolved into a clamor of bickering. Leaving a very confused fox to wonder at how Hopps managed to put up with the noisy neighbors.

Nick put the picture back down on the desk, and pondered what he was going to do next.

Staying was not an option. As far as he could tell, he was somewhere in Downtown. If he lingered here for too long the Tails were sure to get wind of it. And he wouldn't - no he _couldn't_ put that kind of trouble on the rabbit's head.

But there was the fact that Judy had saved his life. Fed him, and was apparently about to return to clothe him as well. Nick was never one to leave a debt unpaid. And whether the rabbit knew it or not, Nick owed her a lot.

The fox's thoughts were scattered when he heard a thump against the door, before it swung open.

Judy entered carrying a large laundry hamper, which she quickly lowered to the ground and kicked across the room. She patted her paws together, kicked the door closed again and skipped back to the hamper.

"Here we are!" She said, pulling out a pair of khaki pants and a green Pawaiian shirt. With a practiced hand, the rabbit had them folded in a flash. Judy handed the still warm clothes to Nick who was looking at her bemused.

"You know … you didn't need to fold them."

"What? Oh …" Judy looked sheepish. "Sorry, old habit. I'm just used to having to fold a lot of clothes very quickly."

Nick cocked his head.

"Why's that?"

"When you have 275 siblings, you have to do a lot of laundry."

Nick couldn't help his jaw dropping.

" _How many_?"

"Oh right, I forgot that most mammals don't have big families. You have any siblings Mr … er, Nick?"

Nick looked at the clothes in his paws and back at the rabbit.

"Oh right, sorry!" The rabbit turned quickly to give Nick privacy.

The fox threw his shirt onto the bed and began to step into his pants. And without really thinking about it, Nick felt compelled to answer the rabbit.

"Never had any siblings, Carrots. Was an only kit."

Nick reached down for his shirt threw it over his arms.

"Oh that's … that's great." Judy said, mildly flustered.

"Ok, I'm dressed. You don't need to worry about going blind there, Fluff."

Judy turned around, a wry smile on her face. "Fluff?"

The fox shrugged. "Just trying some names out."

Nick and Judy were silent for a moment.

"Psst, Pronk. I think they're flirting."

"What! Are you sure? … move over."

Judy and Nick shared a look of surprise, before turning to regard the wall.

"My neighbors …" Judy apologized, before drawing a deep breath.

"I SWEAR TO GOD BUCKY AND PRONK! Don't make me come over there!"

The fox and rabbit heard a crash and some muffled curses.

Nick shook his head and chuckled.

"You've got some interesting neighbors, Carrots."

Judy frowned at Nick in exasperation. But then the fox wondered as a unbelievably smug smile bent the corner of the rabbit's mouth.

"Yeah, laugh it up fuzzball. They're your neighbors now too."

Nick was not expecting that revelation. As his brain struggled to process the bunny's words, Judy continued.

"I've got a spare sleeping bag, which I'm betting is a lot warmer than a pile of newspapers."

"W-wait. What?" was all Nick could manage.

Judy smiled warmly, "Look, Nick it's simple. You've got nowhere to stay, and I've got space to host you until you get back on your paws."

Nick heard the rabbit continuing to speak cheerily about the proposed living situation, but none of it really sunk in. He was in awe. Completely dumbstruck.

Who _was_ this rabbit? How could she possibly be this generous?

"... and I suppose we'll have to find you a better wardrobe. I doubt any self-respecting employer is going to hire you wearing that awful shirt ... Nick, you alright?"

Nick was staring, mouth agape.

"You don't know me from Reynard... I can't let you-"

"Then it's good I don't need your permission, isn't it?" Judy said defiantly.

The rabbit crossed the space between them and put a comforting paw on the fox's wrist.

"Look, Nick. You don't have to stay, I can't hold you here or anything. But … well, I want to help, ok?"

Nick stepped out of her reach and sat down on the bed.

"No, I can't. Carrots, you've way too kind to me. I wouldn't feel right imposing, and besides I … damn, this is going to sound like a cliché …"

Nick laughed humorlessly.

"I'm bad news, fluff. It's not safe to be around me, and I don't want you to get hurt."

Judy furrowed her brow and put her hands on her hips.

"I took down a rhino in paw-to-paw combat. At the police academy. I didn't even need to, you know. I did it to prove a point."

Judy narrowed her eyes and smiled confidently.

"They were going to have different combat requirements for small mammals, but I wanted to show that I could pass any test the rest of the officers passed. So I fought a rhino. And won."

Nick had made a living for decades as a con-fox, and was keenly attuned to gauge an animal's words. There was no hint of deception the rabbit's voice.

"Nick, just stay the night at least. Okay? Promise me you'll think about it."

A long moment passed where Nick was conflicted. He desperately _wanted_ to stay, wanted his dwindling hope for a chance to get back on his paws to be vindicated. But he _knew_ how dangerous the Tails were. This bunny really _did_ come from a dream and - tough as she was - he'd be damned if something bad befell her on his account.

So Nick made up his mind.

"Alright, fine Carrots. You wore me down, I'll stay the night."

"Yes!"

The smile that spread across Judy's face was a beacon of joy.

* * *

The fox seemed to relax after deciding to stay, and Judy spent the next few hours talking idly with Nick. It was good to see the fox comfortable, and the rabbit made an effort to try and learn as much about Nick as possible without prying too far.

For the most part, Nick was happy to make conversation, offering a few witty quips here and there that Judy couldn't help but laugh at. The fox _was_ charming, she had to admit.

But whenever Judy inquired about Nick's past - his family, job, etc - the fox was evasive, offering very little information (his family wasn't around, in his last job he was a tailor) and quickly steering the conversation away from him and towards Judy.

The fox was genuinely inquisitive about Judy, and seemed to really enjoy the stories she told him about her time in the academy, her life on the farm, how she was adjusting to life in Zootopia. Anything really. Judy couldn't help be see a twinkle of interested lurking behind his half-lidded eyes and amused grin. Occasionally Bucky and Pronk would venture a comment.

Judy barely noticed the time pass, but the rumbling of her stomach soon brought the passage of time to the forefront of her mind. Lacking anything on hand for Nick to eat, Judy suggested they order pizza.

The pizza arrived shortly, and the pair continued to talk into the night. For some reason, Judy found she was very much enjoying herself. Nick was good company, and the rabbit supposed she hadn't had someone she felt this comfortable talking to for a long time.

With a yawn that brought another amused grin to Nick's face, Judy realized she was exhausted.

"Oh shoot … there I go keeping you up all night." she apologized.

"It's alright fluff, I didn't mind."

Judy fished out her sleeping bag from her closet, and suddenly realized a flaw in her plan. There was no way Nick was going to fit.

"It's okay, Carrots. I've slept in much worse conditions." Nick said as he reached for the sleeping bag.

Judy pulled it out of reach and shook her head.

"You're my guest, Nick, and I won't have my guest uncomfortable! You'll take the bed again."

"Carrots, no I can't-"

"Shush Nick. I'll be fine." Judy said, laying out the bag on the floor. She reached over to the bed and grabbed a handful of stuffed bunnies and the second pillow, arranging them on the floor.

"See?"

Nick glanced between the makeshift nest and the rabbit, struggling not to laugh. Shaking his head, the fox slowly slid into Judy's bed.

"You comfortable, Nick?"

"Oh yes, very."

Nick paused for a moment in thought.

"Thank you, Judy. I really do appreciate this. You've been kinder to me than any mammal I can remember."

Judy felt her ears grow warm at the tenderness in the fox's tone.

"You're welcome Nick. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The rabbit felt the muffling warmth of fatigue lapping at the edge of her mind. Pleasant memories of the good she had done for Nick came rising up to the forefront of her mind; each one a small bubble of happiness and pride.

Judy had found this poor fox out on the street cold and hungry, and managed to save his life. And she hadn't stopped there.

She cleaned his clothes, fed him and gave him a warm place to sleep - a safe place, a foundation to cling to.

As the swirl of memories began to recede and her mind drifted back into the unknown, she had one final thought - the fox's old tattered jacket.

She couldn't wait to get it back - mended - from the tailor she'd taken it to. If her suspicions were correct, and Nick was the son mentioned in the _Wilde & Son's _tag sewn into the jacket, then she was positive that Nick would appreciate it.

Judy couldn't wait to see the look of pure gratitude he'd have on his muzzle.

With a last look up at the fox sleeping soundly in her bed, Judy let sleep overcome her with a satisfied smile on her face.

She'd done it. She'd made a difference.


	4. Chapter IV - Fox Hunt

**Author's Note:**

Draft Author - sarcasmIsOurStrength

Sorry for the delay, everyone. I had to work through some writer's block and navigate through a swamp of work and homework before I could get cracking on this, haha.

But, without further ado, here is the next installment of Under Grace.

* * *

Chapter IV - Fox Hunt

Judy awoke with the rising of the sun. Just as the light of a new day was spread across the sprawling metropolis, the bunny's eyes lifted and the gears in her mind jumped into life once more.

She was calm - still reveling on the endorphin high she achieved from the fond memories of how she had helped Nick over the past day or so.

She sat up, rubbed her eyes and let out a contented yawn.

Speaking of Nick, she should probably…

She quickly looked around the room. He was _gone_. The bed was made and he had vanished.

Frantically, she looked all over the apartment. There was no note to be seen anywhere… no _anything_.

 _Okay, Judy. Calm yourself… maybe he just went to the bathroom._

Slowly, she roused herself from her makeshift bed on the floor and glanced around the room once more, still not spotting a note. Not a thing was missing or out of place.

Gathering her hopes, she unlocked the door and headed down the hallway to the building's bathrooms, not stopping until she almost mistakenly waltzed into the Male's room. She was briefly embarrassed at herself, but the feeling quickly faded as she formulated a plan to see if Nick was in there.

Luckily for her, at that moment - as if by Frith's will - Bucky came down the hall bleary eyed and a towel in-hoof. She had forgotten that he too was an early riser, albeit an unwilling one.

"Bucky! I'm glad you're here… could you see if Nick… the fox, Is in there? Please?"

Bucky, much too tired from his early-morning routine to argue with the fluffball of energy that was his neighbor, simply nodded and headed in. Moments later, he reappeared.

"Bathroom's empty. Sorry."

"Oh _no_ ," Judy gasped. Steeling herself, she drew a breath. "Okay. Thanks Bucky!"

Bucky rubbed his eyes again and shook his head slightly, turning back to the bathroom to resume his activities.

Now back in her apartment, Judy began pacing. _Why_ had Nick run away? She knew that he had expressed some reluctance to stay when she told him, but after he had accepted the offer, he appeared rather grateful.

Plus, they had talked for _hours_ the night before. Granted, the conversation had been pretty heavily one-sided, she noted, but she still felt like she had connected with the fox on some level. Judy knew that he had intentionally steered the conversation away from himself, clearly very cautious about the information he had revealed. He had listened intently though, hanging on her every word...

At first, his silence and redirections had frustrated her, but as the conversation progressed, she decided that it would be best to not prod him _too_ much, lest he clam up completely and _never_ open up.

Judy worried a great deal about the fox's mental state - she had managed to gather that he hadn't been homeless for that long, and given that he seemed to know the city better than any mammal she'd ever met - including several of the most seasoned officers of the ZPD. She would have been willing to bet a whole burrow's worth of carrots that he knew of better places to camp out than lying exposed to the elements outside a bank…

Which meant either he was _forced_ out there or he _chose_ to be there, freezing to death - either suicidal or near-suicidal.

 _He's gone_ , her conscience reminded her.

 _Gone._

She sat, deep in thought for a brief time before finally coming to the conclusion that if he really _was_ gone, even if in the worst sense of the word, that she would find him, no matter how long it took her. She couldn't just let the world toss him aside like some useless, discarded trash. No one should have to live the kind of life Nick did.

 _He may be gone, but he won't be forgotten._

With a renewed fervor, she sprang up from the spot where she had planted herself and rushed around her tiny apartment, changing into her Kevlar police suit (despite it being her day off) and gathering all the little items she required to execute her search.

She fancied herself a burgeoning detective, after all, and she felt _certain_ that she could find this fox.

Judy turned and grabbed the keys to the cruiser she'd kept overnight, and rushed for the door, stopping only when something out of the ordinary caught her eye. Lying on the floor by her laundry hamper was a photograph, face down; it's stained-white backside reflecting the early-morning streaks of sunlight streaming through her window. Carefully, she picked it up and saw three foxes on the other side, all grinning genuine smiles at the camera. The photograph was too worn and faded for her to make out any of the finer details, but she thought she could see a teenaged fox at the center.

 _Must have fallen out of Nick's wallet_ , she thought.

 _Is this Nick's family? He looks much younger here… This could still be helpful, I guess._

With one last glance-over of her room, she tucked the picture safely into her pocket and rushed out the door, bound and determined to locate the elusive Nicholas Wilde.

* * *

Judy started by searching the immediate area around surrounding her apartment complex. She knew it was a foolhardy hope that he would still be this close, since he had run _away_ from her, but she wanted to just be sure that he wasn't right under her nose before venturing out further than necessary.

After her search turned up sans-fox, she decided to head to Tundratown where she had first found him. Perhaps if he had been there once before, maybe he'd be there again.

Tundratown, unfortunately, provided nothing more than the cold shoulder and what she _swore_ was the preliminary stages of frostbite on her toes. From there, she traversed to the opposite extreme - the heart of a scorching oven known by some as Sahara Square.

Then to the Rainforest district.

And then the Canal districts.

And then to the Meadowlands.

Despite her relentless driving and endless searching, her efforts thus far proved fruitless.

She decided to look around the outskirts and back alleys of Downtown once more, hoping she'd missed something or someone that could help her find the vanishing vulpine. Hopping out of the cruiser, she began patrolling on foot. She went from shop to shop, asking about Nick and showing the owners a picture she had found.

Nick Wilde was one hard mammal to find.

Biting her bottom lip in thought, she started down the street, heading back to her cruiser in defeat. But something drew her attention; on the opposite sidewalk, she spotted a weasel carrying a plain brown backpack and wearing an _atrocious_ Pawaiian shirt. An atrocious _green_ Pawaiian shirt. _And_ it looked to be about three sizes too big for a weasel.

This couldn't be a coincidence.

Judy quickly dashed across the street and approached the weasel.

"Hello, sir... I know this is an odd question, but could you tell me where you got that shirt?"

The weasel turned around and looked the rabbit over before replying.

"What's it to ya?" he bolstered, turning to her. "Hey, wait…" his eyes narrowed. "Aren't you that bunny cop they was makin' such a big deal about in the news awhile back?"

"Yes, that is me. And _you're_ Duke Weaselton - known petty thief and bootleg movie salesmammal."

"I ain't talkin'. Arrivederci, flopsy the copsy." the weasel said, walking off.

"Look," Judy said, pulling out her pen and notepad as she followed him. "You don't _have_ to be in any sort of trouble… I just need to know where you got that shirt."

"I already told ya, I ain't talkin'. Now beat it."

Judy drew a breath and sighed, the wheels in her head turning.

"Did you get it from a red fox named Nick Wilde? He is wanted for questioning."

This was partially true, she conceded to herself. _Somebunny_ in the ZPD _was_ looking to ask Nick questions, after all.

The weasel let out a scoff.

"So the ZPD's after Wilde? Huh. I guess it _was_ only a matter of time… Maybe that's why he sold me this shirt."

"Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"No." he deadpanned, and continued to walk away.

"Well, you _could_ keep walking... at least as far as you can before I slap some cuffs on you for being an accomplice to a conspiracy to commit fraud" A smug smirk found itself on the rabbit's muzzle, and she was beginning to wonder if the night she spent talking to the fox had affected her more than she had previously thought. She'd already co-opted his smug grin.

"Conspiracy to what?" he scoffed. "You ain't got _nothin'_ on me, rabbit."

"I don't suppose you have a receipt for that shirt, do you? And while that is a rather lame excuse to bring someone in, I doubt the Chief or the DA will have an issue with it, considering your… ah… _colorful_ criminal record. And I'm willing to bet those DVDs you're carrying are probably a little less than legitimate, aren't they?" She paused momentarily, letting her threats sink in. "Look, just give me something to go on and I'll get out of your fur."

The weasel furrowed his eyebrows and let out a heavy sigh.

"Alright, alright! Fine. I'll talk," he paused. "But _not_ because of your threats..."

Judy fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"I just can't stand that low-down, sly little _snake_ of a mammal."

"Ok then, glad we're on the same level. Now, what can you tell me about Nicholas Wilde?"

The weasel scratched his chin as his eyes darted around, pondering what to say.

"Yeah, I saw him earlier. Sold me this shirt..." he said, gesturing to the object in question.

"But you already know that."

"Did he say _why_ he wanted to sell you the shirt off his back?"

"Well, he said at first that he was looking for a new style, and then he claimed that it might make me appear more friendly and handsome to my customers" the weasel stated, "... but I knew he was full of crap. Wilde's the opposite of trustworthy…. he's _un_ trustworthy."

"If you _knew_ he was lying about something, then why did you buy it?"

"He seemed kind of down on his luck... which for the likes of him is saying something. I may not _like_ the guy, but us _entrepreneurs_ gotta stick together as much as we can stand." He paused, as if trying to determine if he should continue. "I called him out on his lie, so he finally told me that he was planning something _huge_ and he needed some seed money to get it started. I asked what was in it for me, and he pointed out that if nothing else, this shirt might make me more easily visible to my customers, so I gave him the fifteen dollars he was asking. I was just glad to be rid of him."

"Did he say what he was planning?"

"No. In case you hadn't noticed, me and all the other "low-lifes" like me ain't exactly _generous_ with information. 'Specially not to cops. So the fewer mammals know what we're up to, the less chance someone can come along and..." he paused, giving Judy a brief look over. ".. _spoil_ the plans."

"Are you _sure_ there is nothing else you can tell me about Wilde?"

"I've said too much already. I don't talk to cops. Wilde may be a snake in the grass but I ain't no rat. Suffice it to say that he's not the type of mammal you'd want to invite home to dinner."

"What type of stuff has he done, then?"

"What do you think, rabbit? He's just a typical fox," the weasel spat, "Always lying, cheating and hustling until he gets what he wants. Real piece of work. Only reason I haven't cut ties is because that silver tongue of his is handy sometimes…. I've seen him talk a polar bear into buying a block of ice. And on the street, we're all on our own, flopsy. Nobody cares if you're a fox, a weasel, a badger or whatever. We're all scum to _respectable_ mammals like _your highness_ ," he sneered.

The weasel flicked the toothpick he'd been chewing on to the side.

"So, look. I don't particularly like Wilde, but I don't like cops more. So why don't you just scram? Trust me, whatever you've got on him, it ain't gonna stick."

The weasel narrowed his gaze and stared at the officer before him.

"He out-foxed you rabbit. He always does."

* * *

Judy was beside herself in thought. If those things the weasel had said about Nick were true, then the seemingly down-on-his luck fox she had helped was nothing more than a hustler and crook; a far cry from the unfortunate victim of circumstance with a heart of gold that she had first thought he was.

A sad sigh escaped her lips as she continued down the street back to her cruiser.

 _Did he really con me like the Weaselton said he would? Was he really ever in any danger?_

 _Still, he wouldn't have been outside in the height of a Tundratown snowstorm, waiting for someone to find him and take him in - that would just be plain crazy._

 _No. He was_ _on the precipice of_ _ **death**_ _when I found him, and no one goes to those lengths to hustle someone._

 _There must be more to this than..._

Her thoughts were interrupted by her phone ringing

Her muzzle scrunched up in a mixture of confusion and annoyance, and she answered.

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is The Tailory Zootopia calling for a … Miss Judy Hopps?", responded a cheery voice.

"Oh… Yes, that's me."

"Great! I am just calling to let you know that the jacket you brought in is ready for pick up."

"Oh! Right! I had forgotten about it, actually … I'll be right over there to pick it up, Thanks!"

"You're welcome! Have a nice day!" the voice responded, and the line went dead.

 _Well, regardless of whether or not he conned me I should still go and pick up the jacket. There's no reason they should be stuck with it._

* * *

The cruiser came to a stop with a small squeak,subtly indicating the weakening state of its well-worn brakes. The parking lot in which it now rested was close to downtown, nestled in a rather affluent area of the city. Gorgeous views abounded - the Palm Tree hotel, massive electronic billboards and various other beautifully designed structures graced the skyline with their presence.

Nestled in between two mid-sized office buildings was The Tailory Zootopia - one of the city's longest running tailories. Though older than the glass buildings nearby that dwarfed it, there was an old, rustic charm to the red brick building.

Judy hopped out of the car, making her way through the parking lot and through the front doors.

The interior was just as quaint as the exterior - plainly decorated with a few pictures of beach scenes here and there, along with a few framed photographs of the famous and quasi-famous patrons of the shop.

But one picture in particular caught Judy's eye - one of a red fox, built with a bit more of a sturdy frame than Nick, yet not as plump like her friend Gideon Grey back in Bunnyburrow. Nor was this fox donning a green shirt or overalls. This fox was wearing an eloquent three-piece suit, complete with a jet-black jacket and pants, undertoned by an undershirt of what _would_ have been the deepest blue hue she'd ever seen, had it not been for its owner's eyes.

The humor she saw in the fox's eyes foretold the golden heart of a good mammal, and the slight twinkle she saw in each one sent her mind wandering back down the winding train tracks to Bunnyburrow; its clear, unobstructed cobalt skies, glistening turquoise streams and the breathtaking indigo tint to the Milky Way skyscape flashing across her consciousness.

Her ear twisted as she heard a slight shuffling in the direction of the counter, causing her to leave her trance as her gaze shifted from the oversized painting on the wall to the shopkeeper behind the counter, who had busied himself in tidying up his workspace as he wrapped up his day's activities.

The shopkeep, a thin wildebeest, glanced up as Judy coughed to get his attention.

"Oh, hello there!" he exclaimed, a smile gracing his muzzle. "Can I help you?"

"I believe so… I got a call a few minutes ago from you guys, saying that a jacket I brought in here to be mended was ready for me to pick up."

"Oh, that's right. Miss… Judy Hopps, correct?"

"Yes sir, that's me."

"Hold on one moment, please." he responded, spinning around only to disappear through a door into the rear of the store. Judy's radar-like ears could discern the muffled tones from behind the mahogany passage he'd passed through.

"Marge!" the voice called out. "Marge! Miss Hopps is here to pick up that jacket!"

"Oh, you mean _that_ jacket?" she heard another voice return.

"Yes, _that_ one. Now, where did you put it?"

"It's right over here, Clarence. Come along, and we'll return it."

The doorknob vibrated slightly before the door opened once again, as Clarence and Marge emerged through it.

"Good afternoon, Miss Hopps!" Marge began. "Here is the jacket you brought in." She said, lying the now-repaired suit coat wrapped in the Tailory's trademark wardrobe bag on the counter.

"Thank you," Judy returned, taking the jacket in her arms. "... but I have to ask, how is it that you were done with this so quickly? When I brought it in the other day, I was told that it would take at least a week to be finished."

"Well, to be honest," Marge began, "when we saw the Wilde & Son's tag inside the jacket, we rushed to get this done so we could see who had brought it in. It's been awhile since we've seen one, you see."

"What is special about this tag?" Judy asked.

"Well," Clarence drawled, "the owner of the Wilde & Son's tailor shop was a dear friend of ours. The late John Wilde. He helped us get our business off the ground."

"See that picture on the wall behind you?" Marge asked, as a somber expression cast itself over the wildebeests' faces. "That was him."

" _Late?_ " the rabbit repeated, turning back from the painting. "… _Oh_. What happened to him?"

"Well... that's kind of a long story. When _we_ met him, it was just him and his son… Rick, I think."

"It was Nick, dear. Sweetest little kit you ever met," Marge recollected fondly.

"Ahh, that's right, Nick ..." Clarence added. "My old melon isn't quite what it used to be," he chuckled dryly. "Anyway, John ran the Wilde & Son's tailor shop on the other side of the city - over in Happytown. One night several years back he was heading home and was mugged… police report said he refused to give up his wallet, so they shot him right on the spot. Such a shame." Clarence finished, dejected.

"That's awful!" Judy cried, her voice carrying obvious shock and sadness in it. "How old was Nick when… it happened?" asked Judy, her voice now softer.

"He was seventeen," Marge said. "Seventeen and with no parents… his mom had died only a few years before we met them, of some sort of cancer, or so we were told. After his dad died, Nick just... went off on his own. We haven't seen much of him since the funeral. I pray he's doing alright."

"Yeah, me too," Judy whispered.

"So… how'd you come into contact with the jacket?" Marge inquired.

"Oh… I, uh…" Judy stuttered, wanting to avoid answering the questions that would inevitably follow the revelation that this was Nick's coat.

"It's… my boyfriend's." She managed, her own choice of words making her jump slightly. "He was, uh, wearing it when he fell and tore it up, so I wanted to get it fixed for him," Judy added quickly.

"I see."

"Yeah, haha," the rabbit said, laughing nervously. "So uh, what do I owe for the mending?" she asked, trying to change subjects.

"Oh, that'll be $50," Clarence said, moving to the counter.

Judy fished out the bills and laid them on the counter.

"Thank you two _so_ much… you've been a real help." The rabbit smiled, and sprinted out the door.

"Thank you, Miss Hopps. It was nice being reminded of John again!" Clarence called after the bunny.

Marge let out a good-natured laugh, "Is that framed picture of him not enough?"

"Well… you know what I mean," he chuckled as he pulled his wife into a tight embrace and gave her a soft kiss.

Marge hummed at her husband's closeness.

"I wonder if she realized that we _saw_ the red fur in that fox-sized jacket."

"Probably," he replied simply. "Think she's looking for him?"

"Let's hope so," she sighed. "That little kit we knew deserves someone nice like her."

* * *

Judy sat in her cruiser and stared at the newly repaired suit coat that lay in her lap. Her eyes were glued to the thing, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Her digits ran along the soft fabric, and in the theatre of her mind she replayed all her interactions with the fox once more. Had it been something she said? Something she did? Or was it just his nature to seek out solitude?

While she still felt deep sorrow for the fox, she also couldn't shake what Weaselton had said to her earlier.

It was still plausible that he _hadn't_ hustled her, but she just couldn't shake the feeling that she'd been had. And even if he _did_ have some reason for leaving, he could have at least shown her some appreciation for all the trouble she'd gone through on his behalf.

She could feel her resolve about the whole ordeal slipping away… she wanted _desperately_ to believe that her kindness hadn't been taken advantage of, but on the other paw she had to face reality as it presented itself.

Her immediate determination to _find_ the fox, however, hadn't wavered.

And now she had a new lead.

Quickly doing a Zoogle search for "Wilde & Son's Tailory", she got the address and punched it into the cruiser's GPS.

As she made her way down the streets, her eyes remained on the hunt; scanning the sidewalks for any trace of the elusive Nick Wilde.

This continued until her GPS spouted a robotic "You have arrived. Your destination is on the left."

She expected to see an old, abandoned store with broken glass, boarded windows and doors with a tag or two of graffiti, but instead she saw before her the black, empty husk of a store that once was.

Doing another Zoogle search, she found a minor news story buried several pages below more "relevant" news that cataloged the fire. It had happened a couple weeks ago, and the fire chief was suspecting that it was the fault of a faulty, old electrical box.

 _Maybe this is what Nick was up to before going homeless_ , she thought.

She looked around a few more moments. She doubted she'd find anything here - not nearly two weeks after a fire. With another sad sigh, she returned to her cruiser and headed home.

* * *

The door to Judy's apartment in the Pangolin Arms Apartments building creaked open, and just beyond the threshold stood a weary and bedraggled bunny.

She had searched for _sixteen hours_ for Nick Wilde, and all she'd managed to see was his shirt - now possessed by a weasel - and a burnt, old building that he may not have even seen for fifteen years or more.

She drew a deep breath and let out a tired sigh as she took a step forward - only to stop herself right past the doorway. She'd stepped on something.

Confused, she backed up to see what it was.

At her feet lay an envelope; it had been stuffed under her door _just_ far enough that it had been out of view.

Hesitantly, she reached down and picked it up.

Judy's eyes widened when she opened it and found a stack of bills stuffed inside. Counting quickly, she found just over $200.

In the back of the envelope, a folded note was tucked. Judy opened the note and read:

 _Carrots,_

 _I'm sorry I didn't leave a note or anything earlier, but I didn't want to make this any more complicated than it had to be. I really_ _ **did**_ _want to stay, but I just can't. You're the kindest mammal I've ever met, and I_ _ **won't**_ _let you get into trouble on my account._

 _So thank you. For the food, for the company… and for treating me like a real friend._

 _It was a dream, Bunny._

 _\- Nick Wilde_


	5. Chapter V - A Crossing

_**Draft author: Nehkles**_

 _ **Author's note: That took a little while. Hope you all enjoy.**_

* * *

Chapter V: In the Nick of Time

Judy walked through the front doors of Precinct One, without the usual spring in her step that the bunny was known for. On any normal day, she'd march into the precinct at a brisk pace, giving any of her fellow officers a quick and cheerful hello as she made her way towards the bullpen.

But, it was hard to summon her normal Monday energy when her weekend had been spent on a fruitless and frustrating foxhunt.

Judy wondered at the series of events that had led here here: Friday had started off fairly normal, until Judy found a homeless fox out in the cold mere moments away from succumbing to the freezing temperatures and falling away from the world of the living. Saturday had been rather enjoyable; the hours had melted away as Judy and her new foxy friend passed the time laughing, chatting idly and getting to know one another. Sunday had been a stark contrast - beginning with her horror in waking up to find Nick gone - nowhere to be found, even after hours of searching. When Judy got back home, she discovered that Nick - who to her knowledge had nothing but the clothes on his back- had managed to scrape together over $200 in a single day, and gave it all to her, just because she treated him with kindness. As though he _owed_ her something.

All of this added weight to her already heavy mind and made sleep elude her until late into that Sunday night.

When she finally did walk through those massive glass doors after what seemed like _hours_ of driving, Clawhauser was the first to notice her barely concealed exhaustion.

"Hey, Judy! Rough night?" The rotund cheetah said, casually taking a bite of one of a dozen donuts that never seemed in short supply.

"Yeah, you could say that." She replied, shaking her head and rubbing her eyes in an attempt to keep herself awake.

"Oh, that's terrible! Did something keep you up?" he asked. And then, with a conspiratorial grin added, "Or maybe, some **one**?"

 _Yeah, just this fox I took in over the weekend who turned out to be a swindler, while at the same time having a heart of gold. And the thought of him lying face down in a ditch somewhere at this very moment won't stop haunting me._

"Ah, probably just my brain not wanting the weekend to be over. Mondays, am I right?" Judy said.

It was a lame excuse, and she hoped Clawhauser wouldn't notice. Unlike many of the officers in the precinct, she didn't hate when her alarm clock started blaring loudly in the early morning. She loved it, because it meant she could get back to work - back to making the world a better place.

"Well, well, well. Judy Hopps gets a case of the Mondays. Only took over a year to finally happen!" Clawhauser replied with laughter, while Judy let out her own exasperated attempted at chuckles. "Don't worry about it, Hopps. It happens to everyone! I mean, you should have seen how bad Fangmeyer gets. I swear, you see her come in dragging her tail … that's your warning to tread lightly!"

"Ha… guess you guys are rubbing off on me. And don't worry, I'll be fine. Talk to you later, Ben." Judy said, giving the cheetah a small wave before she made her way to the bullpen.

The bullpen was as chaotic as usual; officers of all kinds and sizes were chatting and laughing about some shared anecdote. Entering the room, Judy gave a few nods to her fellow officers while she trudged onward to her seat, dodging out of the way of a paper airplane that Wolford had thrown at the back of McHorn's head. The chair was much too large for her (she had to stand just to see over the table, and could practically fit another mammal on it with room to spare) but she hadn't ever minded. She'd never felt it necessary for the ZPD to give her any compensation or breathing room on things just because she was a rabbit. She was always out to prove that she could do just as well as everyone else.

But, considering how tired she was, being able to sit down sounded heavenly.

Before she could think on that any further, Chief Bogo entered the room, causing the other officers to stand and give a quick salute, before several of them started their usual morning rabble and hazing, which was quickly settled down by Bogo.

"Alright everyone. I know it's a Monday, and even _Hopps_ is looking tired today, but we've got a job to do, so let's get right to it." The cape buffalo said, before reading off everyone's assignments.

There was nothing special about anyone's assignments today. Wolford and McHorn were assigned traffic duty, causing each of them to let out a groan. Grizoli and Delgato were to patrol around Tundratown, keeping an eye out for any activity from the Big family. Judy was hoping that someone - hopefully her - would get assigned a case involving a certain missing fox... supposing he _was_ missing. It did seem unlikely, as he had never mentioned any friends or family that would have reported him gone, but she had to hope that she could somehow find a lead here.

Her heart sank when Bogo assigned her office duty today, tasking her with finishing the paperwork that had accumulated on her desk for the past few cases - specifically the one she had been working right before she'd found Nick in Tundratown.

Sitting at a desk for hours on end was not going to help her find Nick. Judy needed to get out there and find him.

All she needed was a good reason.

Once everyone was dismissed, the rabbit headed to her desk to finish up the reports. On any normal day, it might take her a couple hours to get through everything, but today she was determined to get it done as quickly as possible. Every minute she spent inside the precinct was another minute Nick was at risk. Her usual energy returned in force, and she tore into the paperwork with fervor.

When Judy finally let her hands fall at her side - now finished with all the typing and writing - she had only spent around half an hour on the paperwork. She'd saved a lot of time, but she still didn't have a second to spare.

Judy's paws returned to her keyboard, and zoogling the name "Wilde"

Immediately she found a few newspaper articles. The first one was about John Wilde, and how he'd just opened up his tailory in town. It was a short article, something that anyone could easily skim by if they were tired enough. The next one was about his murder; gunned down in an alley for refusing to give up his wallet, and died in the hospital later that day. Finally, an article about the fire at the tailory, which was _much_ more recent that the previous two articles. Only a little over a week old.

The information in it was lacking, going into no further detail than "believed to be an electrical fire, one known mammal injured, no surrounding buildings affected", etc. None of that was going to help her find any leads, as the injured mammal wasn't named, so Judy quickly pulled up the police database, entering the name "Wilde" and waiting for any results.

To her surprise, there was no file on Nick. If what the weasel had said was even partially true, she would've expected at least _one_ arrest. But there was nothing to be found on him, just more on John. The official report on his murder presented no new information, and to this day seemed to be unsolved. John's murder case was as cold as the snow Judy had found his son lying in.

Judy was running out of ideas. If the report on the fire didn't give her any new info, she didn't know where she would go next.

She opened the file, browsing it quickly before her eyes widened, and a confident smile appeared on her face.

The report was fairly in line with the article. It was believed to be an electrical fire, and it was contained so that none of the surrounding buildings were affected.

But this time, the report listed a name.

Well, a first name. An alias if anything. Finnick. Species: Fennec fox. Age: 42. Gender: Male. Injuries: Broken arm, Broken ribs, minor burns on chest and back, minor contusion on skull, concussion. Admitted to Zootopia General Hospital.

There it was!. That was the lead that Judy needed. If this guy had anything to do with that tailory, then maybe, just maybe, he could help Judy find Nick.

Of course, she couldn't wait until she got off work to go and see this fennec. She needed to get there _now_. She had already finished her reports at lightning speed, so hopefully Bogo would be willing to let her "investigate" this fire.

Judy got up from her desk, rushing over to Bogo's office and knocked on the door.

"Enter." she heard him say, before she opened the door.

By the looks of it, the Chief was neck deep in reports of his own, having to review each and every one. He barely looked up over the rim of his reading glasses at the rabbit that had entered his office before turning his attention back to the papers.

"What is it, Hopps?"

"Sir, I was looking at this case from last week - an electical fire down in Happytown - and I was wondering if you could let me go investigate it a little further."

Bogo turned his attention back to his smallest officer, giving her a quizzical look.

"Really, Hopps? First you keep a cruiser over the weekend, and now you try and get out of desk duty?"

"Yes sir." Judy quickly replied. "I already have all my reports finished and there's nothing else for me to do. I have reason to suspect that there's more to this fire than a faulty electric box."

"Oh? And what makes you so sure?" Bogo asked.

"Uhh...How much time do you have, exactly?"

The chief drew a sharp breath and rubbed his temples, as if the action would make the headache that walked into his office vanish into thin air.

"I have no time for this, Hopps. If I just say yes, will it get you out of my office?"

"Absolutely."

"Then please, get out."

"Uh… Just to clarify, sir. Are you giving me permission to-"

"Yes, Hopps! Now go!"

That was all the affirmation she needed. With a bit more pep in her step, Judy rushed out of the Chief's office, hopeful that this fennec would help her find Nick.

* * *

Mammals of all sizes passed by Judy as she moved through the halls of Zootopia General Hospital, trying to find the fennec's room. The nurse's directions were proving unhelpful, and she felt like she'd been going in circles for the past two minutes.

But, a few more minutes of searching, and the rabbit found what she was looking for: Room 185. This "Finnick" guy was inside. If he didn't have any answers for Judy, she didn't know what she'd do next.

She knocked on the door lightly before slowly opening it and peeking inside.

"Hello? Mr… Finnick?" the rabbit asked, eyeing the small fox in the hospital bed.

He was lying there with his eyes closed, his right arm in a sling and bandages wrapped around his upper body. The fennec's eyelids shot open the second Judy spoke.

"Ugh… Finally! About damn time! Did those nurses file a report like I asked them too?" He asked, causing Judy's ears to perk up slightly, her head tilted in confusion.

"What? No, no. I'm Officer Hopps. I'm here to ask you about-"

"If they didn't call you, then why-" the small fox froze, as if coming to some sort of realization. "Oh hell no. I didn't do nothing. I've been in this damn bed for the past week."

"Oh, don't worry, sir. I'm not here to arrest you. I just wanted to see if you could help me with-"

"I ain't helpin' you with _jackshit,_ cottontail. Not until I get to file a missing mammal report." the fennec growled at her.

"Missing mammal… Is it Nick?" Judy asked, moving up closer to the bed. The fennec's eyes grew wide, and she now had his full attention.

"How the hell do you know about Nick? He ain't friends with no fuzz. Especially not some carrot munchin' bunny cop."

"We… met over the weekend. I-" Judy began, before once again being cut off.

"So you know where he is? The hell do you need me for? You'd better bring his scrawny ass down here before I-" The fox tried to make some sort of motion with his right arm, but winced in pain.

"Sir, please, calm down." Judy said as she extended her paws outwards, not wanting this fox to hurt himself any further. "I don't know where he is. I was hoping that you could help me find out."

"Why the… Look, whatever you think he did, I guarantee it wasn't him. Nicky ain't the type of guy go stealin' from anyone. Not directly, at least…And besides, I ain't about snitch to no cop."

Judy was getting a bit frustrated . This Finnick guy assumed that she was here to either arrest him, or was on the hunt for Nick, and didn't seem like he would be convinced otherwise. Then again, most mammals would suspect something like that if an officer came looking for them, so she tried to set aside her irritated mood.

The rabbit let out a heavy sigh. "Alright… Look, Finnick, right?" She waited several seconds for him to answer, but only got an angry scowl in response. "I'm not here to arrest you, or Nick. I found him out on the street Friday night. He was curled up behind a bank down in Tundratown, wrapped in a pile of old newspapers. He was in real rough shape, freezing to death. An ambulance would've taken too long to arrive, so I dragged him into my cruiser and started off towards the nearest hospital."

"And he flipped out on you, didn't he?" Finnick deadpanned.

"Yeah. He was _very_ insistent on not going inside. How'd you know?"

"Look, rabbit. Let's just say Nick's had his fair share of visits ... and not as a patient, if you get what I'm sayin'. Ain't nothing but death at a hospital in his mind."

Judy just nodded. It saddened her to hear this news. It was never easy to lose anyone, and she would know. Coming from such a large family, funerals were much more common for her than they were for other species. She always imagined that since other mammal's funerals were much more rare, they'd be that much more difficult to deal with.

Her mind wandered back to what the wildebeests had said yesterday. His mom lost to cancer. His dad to a mugger. Both within a few years of each other. She couldn't imagine losing either of her parents, let alone both of them.

 _Oh, Nick..._

"Hey, little miss hopper copper, you listenin'?" Finnick growled suddenly, snapping Judy out of her thoughts.

"Oh… sorry. You were saying?" she asked.

"I said, what the hell'd you do with him? You'd better not've just left him at some shelter. That shit don't help nobody."

"No, don't worry. I got him a bit of food, and he passed out. I couldn't just leave him somewhere, so I brought him back to my apartment and got him warmed up. The next morning, I found out he had nowhere else to go, so I let him stay with me."

"Really? The hell'd you do that for?"

Judy scoffed at the question. "Because it was the right thing to do! I couldn't just send him back out on the streets, not like that. I told him to stay as long as he needed to, but he just … disappeared Sunday morning. I spent the entire day looking for him, and what I've found out so far has lead me to you."

"Okay…" the injured fennec began. "Look, maybe this is the concussion talking, but you two didn't ... you know?"

"I know what?" Judy asked with a tilt of her head and a furrow of her brow.

"Do what bunnies do best?"

"... Farm?"

The fox let out a heavy groan, slamming his left paw to his forehead and running it all the way down his muzzle.

"You know what... forget it."

"Uh… right, so I was hoping you could…"

Judy suddenly stopped as what the fennec _really_ meant dawned on her.

"Oh sweet cheese and crackers, no! I didn't… he didn't… wedidn't do anything like _that_!"

To her surprise, the fennec cracked a broad grin and started to cackle.

"Bunnies, man. I swear…"

"Look." Judy said, her irritation starting to show itself. "I just want to make sure he's alright. Do you have _any_ idea where he might've gone?"

"I don't know, rabbit. It's a big city! A lot of place out there for a fox to hide. What I wanna know is, why'd you come to me? Hell, how'd you even find out about me anyway?"

"Wilde and Son's. The tag on Nick's jacket led me there. I found a file about the fire, and saw your name listed there."

"You've got his jacket?" the fennec asked, once again trying to move, but wincing as he tried just a little too much.

"Yeah. I brought it to a tailor to be mended, and he vanished before I could return it to him."

"Mended? Shit. He's gonna love to see that thing in good condition again. It was his old man's, you know."

"Which is exactly why I want to find him. He needs it back, and he needs to be somewhere safe. Please, just think a little harder. Is there any place he liked to go to? A-a park he liked to wander around, or a certain bar he frequented? _Anything_?"

Finnick stared at Judy for a long time. She saw suspicion hardened into every feature of the fennec's muzzle, as though it had been etched from marble. Unbreakable.

But just when Judy was beginning to realize that the diminutive fox wasn't going to say anything, she saw Finnick's face soften. The statue crumbled, and Finnick stared at her in something akin to wonder.

"Yeah. I think I've got an idea." he said after a few long moments.

"Great! Where is it?"

"It's… a little out of the way."

* * *

Over the course of Nick's life, he's visited this old stone bridge more times than he could count. Early on it was a spot to play. He imagined himself as an airplane doing death defying stunts by flying underneath the archway, a king on the rampart of his castle, or a nasty monster waiting for a few poor souls to try and cross his bridge. His parents always watched him, and sometimes got involved in the fun themselves.

Later on, he went there to think. After his mom's passing, Nick found himself wandering around the city quite often, and he somehow always managed to end up at the bridge. He'd wait there for an hour or so, until his dad noticed he was missing. John would always drive down and pick him up, sometimes sitting with him underneath it. Sometimes they talked, and sometimes they just sat quietly together.

And after his dad was murdered, he went there to grieve. It was the only place he could do it without fear of any of his classmates and friends seeing him weeping. Most mammals don't want to hang around a seventeen year old fox with emotional issues; and Nick didn't want it known that he was emotional to begin with. He knew better than to expose a weakness that other's could pounce on. So he went to the bridge alone, to mourn for the only two mammals that ever _really_ cared about him.

Throughout his twenties, Nick went there to remember.

To remember his mom.

His dad.

The good times.

The bad times.

The hardship.

The pain.

These moments of remembrance were the only times Nick was able to open up, at least to himself. And only to himself; any of the times Finnick had followed him there, the red fox had been much more calm and relaxed, attempting to hide any of his emotions from his partner.

And now, as he struggled to stand underneath that old stone bridge - nose bloodied and body bruised - Nick had gone there to die.

It wasn't his intention to do this, but he couldn't think of anywhere else to go that would be worthwhile. He knew the Tails had eyes and ears all over this part of town, but he didn't care anymore. Nick knew he was finished. This way, he could at least die in a place of his own choosing - one that meant something to him.

Nick raised his head, eyeing the three mammals on the other side of the bridge. A jackal spat out a lone tooth, shaking his head before giving Nick a sour look. He'd managed to land a few good punches on the jackal, giving him at least _some_ feeling of success in the face of his impending defeat. A sheep was now sporting a black eye, creating a stark contrast to the rest of his white wool. Finally, a red fox stood between them, making a clear showing of his claws, while at the same time keeping the other two from advancing.

"Hold up, boys. Let's give Wilde a bit more time to think this over." The fox said, lowering his paws to his side.

"Oh... come on, guys. Where's the fun... in a fair fight, anyway?" Nick huffed through heavy breaths, fatigued by the brief fighting that had already occurred. "The sooner you… get this done… the sooner you'll… get home for lunch."

His trademark smug smile remained etched on his muzzle as the crimson blood flowed freely from his nose.

"Look, Wilde. Hear me out for a sec. You just come with us, and we can get this whole mess sorted out." the other fox said.

"You know… just as well as I do… that getting this thing… "sorted out"... is just gonna be me… in a hole somewhere. I think I'd rather go out free… you know?" Nick said, slowly raising his fists.

The other fox shook his head. "If you insist. Just so you know Wilde, from one fox to another, I'm sorry about this. It's nothing personal, you just crossed the wrong mammals."

Nick considered the fox's words, and they sounded genuine enough. Not that it really mattered. The end result would've been the same whether he said them or not.

"I'll… stay out of your way… next time."

Nick charged forward, tackling the other fox to the ground, growling as he landed several punches on the fox's muzzle. The other two mammals quickly pulled Nick off of the other fox, sending several hard blows right into Nick's gut. He felt his breath escape his lungs, before he was thrown to the ground, and all three mammals began bombarding him with a series of punches and kicks.

Nick didn't know how much longer he was going to last. It wouldn't be long on his own, and nobody else was around that would come to his aid. The bridge was never known for having that many mammals around, which was one of the reasons he liked to come here so much.

In truth, he didn't really care. Sure the pain was inconvenient, but he was going to see his family again. He would leave behind the world that had shown him nothing but hardship. Mere days ago, when he finally thought things were looking up, and he was going to make something of his life, it was all taken from him on a single night. He felt no fear, no sorrow in the face of death. Instead, he felt liberation.

Nick could at least find comfort in the fact that the only two _living_ mammals he cared about would be safe. He wouldn't be around to attract any more misfortune to either of them.

Finnick would recover, find a new partner, and hopefully learn to stay out of trouble. He's been in the business a long time, so it shouldn't be too hard for him to readjust. The fennec was never known for being the most open person emotionally - not unlike himself - but Nick had known him for years, and the few brief times he'd managed to break through the tough outer shell of his emotions, he learned that the older fox really did care about Nick. He just showed it in… unusual ways.

And Judy. He still couldn't believe someone would be so kind, so caring to a complete stranger - especially when that stranger was a homeless fox. If there were just more mammals out there like her, the world would be a much better place for everyone.

Hopefully she'd find a good use for Nick's jacket eventually. Maybe as a gift to one of her co-workers or something. He wished he'd been able to pick it up himself, but considering what Judy had done for him, he considered that a part of his payment. A token to her to remember the good deed she'd done.

Nick wondered how long it would be until he faded from her memory... How much time would pass before the thought of him would become another faded memory - a story to tell to her kids one day when she's teaching them about being caring and kind to all mammals, because that's exactly the type of thing she'd do.

But he did wish he could see those vibrant violet eyes again - just _one_ more time. Then his soul could really rest at peace.

Through all the pain of the mammals' punches and kicks, he could feel them suddenly come to a halt, and he heard voices begin to speak, but he couldn't exactly determine from whom they emanated. He thought he could hear footsteps closing in, before three much larger pairs moved away from him.

There was some grunting, and a few yelps. A clear sign of a struggle. Whoever this poor sap was that had stumbled upon them, he was only delaying the inevitable a little bit longer.

 _Poor mammal. They should've just stayed out of it._

Nick couldn't tell how long they'd struggled against the Tail's goons, but after some time he heard three loud thuds, and a soft pitter-patter approach him.

A feminine voice began to speak, and despite the pulsing pain, Nick was surprised at how keenly he felt a small paw lightly touched his shoulder, soft, warm and calming.

It took a surprising amount of effort just to simply open his eyes, but when he did, he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Judy Hopps was kneeling down next to him, a concerned look on her face, along with some slightly ruffled fur. Through the blur of his watery, swollen eyes he could see the unconscious forms of the three goons behind her, and noted with satisfaction that the fox was lying in an undignified pose, flat on his face with a tranquilizer dart sticking out of his ass.

"Nick?" he heard her say clearly, just as lovely as when he'd heard it the first time.

He couldn't believe it. There she was.

His dream bunny.


	6. Chapter VI - A Light in the Dark

**Chapter VI - A Light in the Dark**

" _Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight_

 _Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,_

 _Rage, rage against the dying of the light."_

 _Dylan Thomas_

* * *

The world was black, save for a slow, orange hue dissipating ever so slowly to the west.

Despite himself, Nick's body remained motionless even as a deathly, familiar chill seeped through his tattered clothing and began numbing his bones.

 _No,_ he thought. _No, this isn't right - I was_ _ **just**_ _fighting with those Tails goons… why am I back here?_

The only sound Nick could hear was the howling of the wind; it was whipping around buildings, down alleyways and then straight through his flimsy clothing. On occasion the wind would die down, leaving only a deafening lack of sound in its wake. Soon he could hear nothing else.

The sky was darker now, he could tell - what little illumination the faint orange on the horizon cast just moments before had drained into the inky void that hung above him. Constellations of stars revealed themselves, sparkling points of light against the darkness around him. But they too vanished; blocked out by the light pollution from the surrounding city and overhead storm.

The only warmth he could feel was the gentle burning of the Jack Savage's Whiskey in his stomach, and even that was feeling was fleeting.

 _How did I get here? I swear was just fighting with the Tails guys when Carrots found me…_

A shiver ran through his bones as memories came flooding back.

 _Carrots?! Where is she? Didn't she find me here and take me in? Or was that a dream?_

 _Is_ _**this**_ _a dream?_

 _Was any of that real, or was it all the cruel trick of my frost-bitten brain?_

All Nick could think to do was to call out for Judy- he wanted to get up and find her and know that everything would be alright again, but he couldn't. No matter how hard he tried to stir, or to call out for Judy, he could only hear his own thoughts and feel his frozen bones as his body began to shut down.

* * *

Judy watched as Nick lay before her in the hospital bed, soundly asleep.

It had taken her two long days to find this fox, and finally her conscience could rest a little. She had made quick work out of the three assailants who had been attacking him, getting them cuffed and on the ground with relative ease. Immediately after the threats were neutralized, her attention had turned to Nick, who was lying unconscious on the ground. He appeared to have collapsed from the pain, striking his head against the stone wall of the bridge - yet another middle finger from the universe to the vermillion fox.

Quickly, she called for an ambulance (she wasn't going to take chances with Nick's life a second time) while applying what little first aid that she knew, keeping a close eye on the others until another group of officers arrived to take them away.

Judy elected to go with Nick to the hospital and deal with the suspects later. She had already put this much effort into finding this slippery fox, and she wasn't just going to leave him alone _again_.

Once there, the doctors assured Judy that overall Nick would be fine. His injuries weren't nearly as bad as his friend Finnick's, who was resting in the other bed across from Nick. She was just lucky that she got there when she did, otherwise things could've turned out much worse. The rabbit had insisted when they arrived that Nick be put in this room, hoping that it would be easier to calm him down if he had a few friendly faces around. The small fennec had tried yelling at Nick to wake him up, before he tired himself out and dozed off.

That was something that Judy was scared about; she had no idea how he was going to react to waking up inside a hospital. Nick was _very_ insistent when she'd first dragged him into her cruiser that he did _not_ want to go into a hospital under any circumstances, but she didn't really see another option. Nick wasn't just cold and a little dehydrated like a few nights ago. He had received multiple lacerations, cuts and heavy bruises all over his already feeble body, and Judy didn't want to take any risks. Luckily, the doctors said that nothing was broken, and that he should be fine to leave within a day or two.

But once Nick was out, then what? Would she take him back to her apartment, trying to convince him to stay there for awhile, until one night he'd leave again? Judy couldn't just leave him alone again, and wasn't going to let him put himself in harm's way anymore. He needed help, and nobody else in the entire city would give it to him.

Maybe she could find a place for Nick _and_ his friend to stay in? That way, each of them could start to get back on their feet; take out two proverbial birds - or foxes - with one stone. But a meager place to stay wouldn't solve the glaring problem of Tails gang goons coming to kill them.

And thinking about Finnick made Judy realize that she still has a larger case to solve here; those guys that attacked Nick, and the fire at the tailory. What was the _reason_? Was there a connection? There just about _had_ to be, as far as she was concerned.

Several moments flew by as Judy pondered, her eyes tracing over the sleeping form of the red fox in front of her. He seemed to be resting fitfully, but the doctors assured her that he was in fact on painkillers. Snapping out of her trance, she realized that she had been staring at Nick, so she shifted her gaze over to the fennec to her left, who she was surprised to find was staring at _her_.

Catching Finnick's gaze, Judy felt a tad embarrassed to have been caught staring, slightly fearing that perhaps the fennec would draw some unfortunate conclusions.

She was not relieved when Finnick broke the awkward silence:

"I just can't figure you out, rabbit."

"What do you mean?" Judy asked nervously, "I'm just worried … Nick's in bad shape."

"No shit, but that's not what's confusing me. The hell do _you_ care for?"

"I.. I just couldn't stand by and do nothing when I saw that he was in trouble, so I helped. My parents always taught me that I need to do all I can to help others, and that's what I intended to do."

"But he's a fox. Same as me. You ain't."

"So what? If a mammal is in need of my help and there's something that I can do, I _will_ help. My duties as a police officer are to serve and protect, and that doesn't stop just because someone is a fox."

Judy paused and looked at the ground. Several moments passed and she looked back at the small vulpine, a confused look in her eye.

" _Why_ would you think that I wouldn't help a fox?"

A heavy sigh escaped the fennec's muzzle.

"Believe it or not, not everyone shares your 'help everyone' attitude. ' _Specially_ not cops, and ' _specially_ when it comes to 'serving and protecting' foxes."

"Well, I'm not _everyone_." Judy asserted defiantly, a fiery look burning in her eyes that dared the fennec to challenge her.

Finnick stared at her, scrutinizing her in silence. Judy could just about see the gears turning behind the small, dusty furred fox's eyes.

"No … you ain't, are you?"

Finnick eased himself up into a sitting position, wincing but never turning his eyes away from Judy. Something about his demeanor bid her not to interject.

"You gotta understand where I'm comin' from. Last cop I saw before the fire started grilling me 'bout some muggin' that happened nearby because I was the only 'shady-looking skulker' around. And you know what was stolen? _An elephant's purse._ Just look at me, I'd fit _inside_ a purse that big! How would I steal one, or hide it?"

Finnick was breathing heavily; anger bristled through every hair on his pelt, before he suddenly glanced back at Judy. After calming back down, he drew a deep breath and paused a moment in thought.

"But you … you went out of your way to help this sad excuse for a fox," he said, indication his red-furred companion slumbering on the next bed. "I ain't _never_ seen a cop do that … hell, I ain't seen most _mammals_ ever do that. Except …"

The fennec glanced at where Nick slept fitfully under an IV drip of painkillers.

"His old todd was like you."

Judy's mind returned immediately to the picture she'd seen at the tailory.

"John?"

Finnick raised his eyebrows in momentary surprise. This rabbit had done her homework.

"Yeah, John."

A pregnant pause filled the room, and only the steady beep of Nick's heart rate monitor broke the silence.

"He uh … look, this life ain't easy for any of us. But John … _he_ gave me a chance when I sure as hell didn't deserve one. Changed my life. And after he died I … well someone had to look after Nick. Bastard's insufferable, but … I owe John."

The expression painted on the fennec's face betrayed a deep, overwhelming pain.

"As much as I lost … Nick had it worse. I ain't his dad, but I'd be damned if I let something happen to him. So, uh … thanks."

Despite the unrefined way in which the small fox before her rambled through his thank-you, it was glaringly clear that it had been hard for him to do so. She didn't suspect that he - or Nick, for that matter - had experienced very many genuine conversations before. The fennec was putting himself out there to make Judy understand.

"Nick needs some help. And, well … I can help. I _have_ to help." Judy locked her gaze on Finnick, "I can only guess what he's been through. But he deserves better."

A small, almost invisible smile crept onto Finnick's muzzle.

"Damn. You're something else, you know that?"

* * *

The cold had long since fallen away from Nick, along with the accompanying darkness. Each was now replaced by their polar opposites; warmth and light. The contrast was unsettling.

 _Won't be long now, I guess._

He couldn't make out anything other than a bright, white light that seemed to come from nowhere, but everywhere at the same time.

 _Where am I?_

 _Is this…_

The intensity of the bright, white light around him dampened as the scenery transformed from a white _nothing_ to a white _something_.

As his vision cleared, dark shapes began to emerge, resolving from blurred blobs to the forms and colors of buildings. All around and over the roofs was a soft, white substance that Nick finally decided was snow. Glancing around, he could see snowflakes suspended in midair, as if time were standing still.

It only took a few moments for him to realize where he was. The old bank sign was stuck halfway between an advertisement displaying the bank's "Unbeatable Rates!" and the temperature, which still read negative twenty degrees.

Curious, Nick made his way through the unmoving snowflakes to the back of the bank, where he _knew_ he had laid down just days before. He noted that oddly, the non-moving flakes in the air did not seem the least bit disturbed by his passing.

For the moment, he decided to ignore the little mystery and instead satiate his curiosity about his immediate surroundings.

Turning the corner of the bank, Nick stared in shock at the sight before him.

Just ahead of him, behind the old garbage cans and covered in newspaper and snow, he saw the cold and unmoving form of his own body.

In a frenzied panic, he dropped to his knees and began trying to brush the snow from his cold, unmoving form but his paws only passed through the old newspapers and garbage cans.

Slowly, the snow that had been suspended in midair began to resume its trickle downward, and Nick could see his own body taking slow, shallow, and seemingly painful breaths.

A faint but unmistakable scent wafted past his nostrils, grabbing his attention and making him turn from his body on the ground. Out by the street, Nick could see none other than Officer Judy Hopps making her way down the street and through the storm.

Where before he had welcomed the cold, dark embrace that was dragging him down, he now fought with every fiber of his being to stave it off. Without hesitation, Nick jumped up and began to run after her.

" _Judy!_ ", he called out.

He ran and ran, but she remained just out of reach.

" _Judy! I - I need your help! I think I'm dying over here!"_

The rabbit continued walking, leaving Nick to scream for her louder and louder until he could see her no longer. But still he ran, pushing himself harder than he ever had, shouting until his throat was hoarse.

" _JUDY!"_

Nick would not go gentle.

Not this time.

* * *

Finnick and Judy whirled to face the bed from where the pained shout had emanated.

In a gray flash, the rabbit was at Nick's side. She shook him to and tried to steady the thrashing fox, whose rise to consciousness was less than peaceful. The fox's eyes bolted open, pupils dilated and his gaze dashed wildly from place to place before settling on the rabbit who clutched at his right paw.

His breathing - previously ragged gasps, almost desperate - began to slow as Judy softly squeezed his larger, padded paw between her own.

"Nick, it's okay … you're fine, you're safe. Take it easy, alright?"

The fox's gaze had latched onto Judy, his emerald eyes staring in what Judy could only describe as stunned relief.

" _You_ ... you're … you came for me?"

"Of course I did, you dumb fox. Did you think you could just sneak away and expect me not to track you down?"

Nick visibly swallowed, his gaze never wavering from Judy.

"W-why?"

The rabbit smiled down at the wary fox, her oversized buck teeth barely poking out from between her lips.

"Because you needed my help. And because … I care about you."

Judy felt Nick squeeze her paw in his, his eyes continuing to search hers.

And then in a flash, the fox turned his gaze to roam around the room. Judy felt his grip on her paw tighten, and his breathing again grew haggard and short.

"No, no … I can't be …"

Slowly, he started to recoil into his bed, as if attempting to make himself disappear into the rough little hospital mattress. Tightly, his eyes closed as he attempted in vain to wish away the horrid memories of this place.

Gone was the smooth-talking, cocky fox who had charmed Judy. This was a mammal, desperate to escape the present, and the past - the haunting memories of pain whirring through his mind, tormenting him like spectres.

And then Finnick was beside her, grabbing Nick by the muzzle. Forcing his gaze open.

"Nick, you're fine. Alright? You're doing just great. I got you, just breathe."

Nick's gaze flitted between Judy and Finnick. But their presence seemed to have a calming effect, as Nick's breathing steadied and his grip on Judy's paw lessened.

After a moment, Nick said, "Not the biggest fan of hospitals."

This earned a chuckle from the fennec.

"Naw, you never have been. Even when you needed one, you were too bull-headed to go."

Judy looked over the red fox lying beside her for a moment, deep in thought. "Wh… hmm."

She paused again, tapping a finger on her chin momentarily before continuing.

"Why did you scream? It can't be because you knew you were in the hospital, judging by your reaction just a moment ago."

"Geez," Nick deadpanned. "What, do you moonlight as a dream detective too?"

"Not yet," the rabbit returned. "But quit deflecting. Why did you scream for _me_?"

The fox desperately looked everywhere the bunny wasn't.

Finnick caught Judy's attention, and the subtle shake of his head made it clear - she shouldn't push this point. Not yet.

"Your scrawny pelt has caused me a lot of trouble, Nick. And as of late, her too. This bunny's been all over the city tryin' to find you," the fennec interjected.

Nick shifted his gaze over to the irate little fox. He was still attached to his own IV drip and appeared to be stifling a grimace while just trying to stand.

Finnick wasn't feeling well, that much was clear, and he wasn't going to put up with any of Nick's tricks. Not now.

"Don't you gimme that look. And don't you start plottin' to escape here, neither. You'll never get rid of me." He glanced to his left at Judy, who was calmly watching the exchange.

"Her neither, apparently."

Three heads swiveled to the door as the latch turned and a capybara nurse poked her head in.

"Oh, Mr. Wilde! You're awake."

The nurse stepped in and moved to stand beside the fennec and rabbit.

"Do you know where you are, sir?"

Nick sighed and closed his eyes. "If I had to guess, I'd say I'm in Zootopia General hospital, west wing, room 203... Vulpine ward."

The nurse stepped down to the foot of the bed and grabbed the clipboard. Sure enough, it was room 203.

"Uh, yes. Very good - how are you feeling?"

"Oh like a million bucks ... " Nick said, sarcasm dripping from his every word.

"Great!" The nurse said, seemingly oblivious, "I'll tell the doctor you're awake. In the meantime, if you need anything the call button is right there."

"How did you know this was room 203?", Judy inquired once the nurse had left.

A sigh escaped Nick's muzzle.

"We - uh - had to come here a lot when my mom was sick. I know every room in this building like the back of my paw."

"I'm gonna grab something to drink. You want something bunny?" Finnick asked, clearly looking for an excuse to clear the room.

"No, thank you Finnick." Judy said, thankful that the fennec was giving them some space.

"Don't mention it, rabbit." The fennec grunted and hopped down off of his bed, a bit unsteady at first. As the small fox opened the door to leave, he paused and fixed Nick with a glare.

"Look, this bunny's the best damn thing to ever happen to you. You mess this up, and I'll make your red hide into a new rug and sell it to Big. Got it?"

Taken aback, Nick could only nod.

"Good. Now level with her. I don't wanna see any damn self-pity when I get back."

Slowly, Finnick made his way out of the room and out of sight. An awkward silence followed after the door shut again.

"Look, Nick. It's okay … you don't have to-"

"No." Nick turned to fix his gaze at Judy. "Finnick's right."

He glanced away before pushing himself upright into a sitting position.

"For the longest time, it's just been me and Finnick. And - I really don't know why … but I believe you when you say you care."

Nick scratched at the back of his head.

"I really don't know what I would have done if I woke up here and you weren't there. So, uh - thanks."

Judy didn't know how to respond for a long time.

"You know … I've always wanted to make the world a better place. But since coming here, I've been faced with the fact that one cop - one bunny can't make that much of a difference all on her own. Not really."

Nick looked at Judy quizzically.

"But, when I found you, I knew that I had to help. I could have - as I'm sure so many others have - just dropped you off at a shelter. But I remembered something my grandma would always say to me when I'd tell her I wanted to help make the world better… she'd say 'You'll always find mammals who will try to take advantage of your good will, Judith. But a good deed is never wasted. One day you'll meet some mammal who really _does_ need you, and you'll know down deep in your heart when you find them.'"

Judy smiled, a pained and faltering smile.

"So after driving you to Buga, and the way you acted …" The rabbit turned to look Nick in the eye.

"You wanted to die, didn't you?"

It wasn't a question.

Nick stared at Judy for a long time before he answered.

"Yes."

Judy nodded somberly.

"I thought so. And that's why I knew I couldn't look away."

Judy clasped Nick's paw in both of hers.

"I don't have a clue what you've been through. I can only imagine. But I _want_ to know … and I want you to know, that I really do care. I have the feeling that you've tried despite all you've seen, and you deserve more than what you've got."

Judy smiled warmly at the stunned fox before pulling him into a warm embrace.

"Everyone deserves more."

Nick could only stare for a long time.

And then he was overcome with a strange sensation - it was warm like the bourbon that had warmed his freezing body a few nights before, but nowhere near as numbing. He felt his lips stretch as a genuine smile found its way onto his muzzle for the first time in years.

Nick wrapped his arm around the bunny, pulling her close.

"Thank you, Carrots."

Nick could feel the gentle warmth of her smile, even through his blankets.

"You two kissed yet? Or should I give you another minute?" Finnick asked, hobbling through the door with an armload of snacks.

Judy and Nick broke their embrace, turning to face the fennec.

"Oh please, don't pretend. I ain't stupid … I swear I never thought I'd see a fox and a bunny …"

Finnick's voice trailed off into mumbles as he pulled himself onto the adjacent bed with a grunt.

"So when we gettin' outta here anyhow?"


	7. Chapter VII - Home Again

**Draft Author(s): Mostly Sarcasm and Nehkles, with Bummer on drums. If drums were used to edit tense and double stuff fluff.**

 **Sarcasm: So… we're back.**

 **Bummer: Back again.**

 **Nehkles: Guess who's back.**

 **Sarcasm: No.**

 **Bummer: ... fine. This one's pretty fluffy.**

 **Nehkles: And… you know, sorry for not updating in twelve years.**

 **Sarcasm: Can't promise it won't happen again… but we'll try. Maybe.**

 **Bummer: I'd make a joke about seeing you in 2018, but that didn't go so well the last time …**

 **Nehkles: ^**

 **Sarcasm: ^**

 **Bummer: Don't you just love the camaraderie? Anyway, enjoy the chapter and we'll see you in the next one!**

* * *

 **Chapter VII**

 **Home Again**

"Finally. Thought that was gonna take all damn day." Finnick grumbled, trudging around to the driver's side of the van.

"Uh, Finn? How 'bout you let someone else drive, eh?" Nick asked as he walked alongside the fennec. He took a brief look back at Judy, who was still talking to the attendant in charge of the impound lot.

"Why? It's my van." Finnick said before attempting to reach for the handle, wincing as he overextended his arm.

"Well, I just don't think that mammals on crutches should be driving. Tends to limit one's use of their legs, you know?"

The smaller fox scoffed at him while trying to get to the handle. On any normal day, he'd be able to hop up and open the door no problem. But the last few weeks had left the two foxes battered and bruised.

Nick reached over to the handle, only to have the angry fennec in front of him push him aside.

"I got it, Wilde. And I ain't half as banged up as you are, smartass."

"If you insist, your Lowness," Nick smirked.

"Watch that mouth of yours, Wilde. I may only be half as good as normal but I'm still good 'nuff to kick your fluffy red tail up and down this impound lot."

"Sure, until Fluff back there notices. Then it'd be back to the hospital for you." Nick joked.

"Pfft, you kiddin', right? Bunny cop probably wouldn't even knock me to the ground." Finnick said, continuing his efforts to open the door.

"I'm serious. My memory's a little fuzzy, but I'm pretty sure I remember her taking on three of the Tail's goons when she found me. Walked away without a scratch."

"Yeah sure, Wilde. 'S prolly just that crazy head of yours coming up with somethin' while you was passed out."

"Nope. That's pretty much what happened."

The two foxes gave a start and looked up to see Judy now standing on the roof of the van. She hadn't made a peep. "But with my dart gun and my police training, it really wasn't all that hard. By the way, _you_ are not driving." Judy said, pointing at Finnick.

"See, Finn? Told ya you weren't fit to-"

"Neither are _you_ , Nick."

"What? Carrots, I've got both arms working, _and_ all my ribs in place. I'm fine."

"Nick, you were beaten _unconscious_. Let's just play it safe and let someone who hasn't been recently injured drive the van, alright?"

"You mean drive _my_ van," Finnick growled, reluctantly reaching into his pocket with his good arm and tossing her the keys. "You get a scratch on it, and we gonna have some real problems. Got that, SuperCop?"

Judy grinned and nodded as the two foxes climbed into the van, both grumbling incomprehensibly. She then opened the driver's side door herself before hopping inside. After making sure that both Nick and Finnick were settled in (and after a brief argument with Finnick, buckled), she put the keys in the ignition and heard the van reluctantly rumble to life.

"Uh… Finnick? This uh ... thing is a little low on gas." Judy said, looking down at the gas gauge.

"It's always low. Just fill it up on the way to… wherever it is you're taking us."

"Actually… I think I can make it back to my place from here without stopping. Just so long as there isn't any construction or traffic on-"

"Waitaminute... why are we going to _your_ place?" Finnick asked.

"Um, because that's where you two will be staying for the time being. Can't have you guys sleeping in a van out in the street somewhere."

"Nuh-uh. Not happenin', bunny-Cop. You can take Red here and drag _him_ to your apartment but _I'm_ stayin' in here. It ain't me you gotta worry 'bout runnin' off, it's _him_ ," Finnick said, indicating the larger fox beside him.

" _Me_? _Run off_? Why Finnick - little buddy - I would _never_ -"

"Can it, Wilde," said Finnick, cutting him off. "You already tried givin' her the slip once, and you see how well that worked out."

The smaller fox poked one of Nick's sore ribs to solidify his point, earning a yelp from the larger vulpine.

"It's best if you go with her so someone besides me can keep an eye on you for awhile."

The fennec paused, the faintest trace of a smirk on his thin muzzle.

"I'll stay in _my_ van to be sure it don't get towed again, _and_ so I don't have to listen when you two start goin' at it or some-"

" _Okay! Changing the subject!_ ", Judy exclaimed, her ears now burning. "Um… I actually wanted to, uh… ask you guys a few things."

"Like what?" Finnick asked.

"Like… about the fire?"

Nick's head snapped towards the rabbit, eyes slightly wider and ears perked.

"How'd you know about that?" he asked.

"The hell you mean, 'how'd she know about that?" Finnick scoffed. "She a cop, man. Probably got access to a whole bunch a files, surveillance n' stuff like that."

"Uh, kinda. I just looked up 'Wilde' in the database. Found some stuff on the fire, which led me to Finnick, who led me to you."

"See, Wilde? Told ya' they're always watchin'."

"Right. So, you already know all about it. Why bring it up?" Nick grumbled.

"The report was pretty sparse, and … look, just tell me what happened. The report I said it was an electrical fire, but I get the feeling that wasn't really the case."

"Understatement of the year, Carrots." Nick murmured before Finnick spoke up.

"It wasn't no accident, that's for sure. We were gonna head in after hours to catch up on some work, but when we got there the place was already goin' up in flames."

"And you're sure someone did this on purpose?" Judy asked.

"No doubt. We saw a couple of guys runnin' off right when we got there. Wilde went chasing after 'em. I ran inside to try and ease the flames, but by that point, it was out of control."

Judy took a brief glance over at Nick before her eyes returned to the road.

"Nick, did you manage to catch up to them?"

There was a long silence after her question, and for a second Judy wondered if he had even heard her.

"Nick? You oka-"

"Yeah, yeah" he finally began. "There was a mammal that was slogging behind, so I eventually caught up to them. I was a little angry, and may have gotten kinda… carried away…"

"Wha…" Judy began, taking another quick look at Nick. "Nick… did you-"

"Kill him? No! No, no, no!" Said Nick, shaking his head. "I wasn't _that_ angry, but I am pretty sure he had to go to the hospital afterwards. When his buddies saw that I had caught up to him, they turned to help him out, so I booked it back to the shop as fast as I could. The fire was still raging. Couldn't find Finnick so I ran inside, found him unconscious underneath a support beam. I got him out, fire department showed up, and rushed Fin to the nearest hospital."

"But not you?" she asked. Nick turned his head and gave her a look that said "Really?" causing her to remember his reaction when she had first brought him to a hospital a few nights ago.

"Oh, right." Judy huffed, pausing for a long moment as she thought over what the two foxes had told her. "So, do you know why these guys set the place on fire?"

Judy's eyes were still focused on the road at the time, but her ears were listening intently for any sound Nick or Finnick made. Both of them were silent, save for some rustling from Nick's fur, probably from turning his back to face Finnick.

Nick offered a nervous scratch of his head. "It's… uh… _complicated_ , Carrots."

"So, I'm gonna take that as a yes then?" she responded as she looked over at Nick, who was staring out the window, seemingly hesitant to make eye contact.

"Nick?" She asked again, causing his eyes to dart back to her.

"Sorry, sorry." he suddenly said. "I guess I'm still trying to… piece everything together in my head. Can we just talk about this later?"

"Uh… sure. Sure, that's fine. We should probably focus on getting you guys settled in first anyway."

"You mean getting _him_ settled in, Rabbit," Finnick grumbled. "I told you, I've got my van."

"Well, that's actually a lot easier I guess … my apartment doesn't have that much space."

"Carrots, look this is too much trouble. I can just-" Nick began to say before the two smaller mammals in the car looked sharply in his direction.

Nick held up his paws in defeat.

"Alright alright, I'll stay. For real this time."

* * *

Wiping her feet on the carrot-themed mat below her, Judy inserted her key into the lock and opened the door.

"Well, here it is!"

The two foxes glanced around, eyeing the small space dubiously.

"Geez rabbit, you weren't kidding," Finnick said. "I think my van has more space than this place."

" _Grand_ _Apartments_ my shiny red tail…" Nick muttered. "You know there are more places available in this city than this, right Carrots?"

"Yeah, but this place was the most affordable one I could find when I was moving, and in case you didn't know, cops don't get paid the highest salaries," Judy said as she shut the door behind the three mammals.

"If I didn't know before, I sure do now," Nick remarked wryly.

Judy bounced forward, dragged out a small chair fit for Finnick, and directed Nick to sit on the bed. Dashing about the room, Judy collected what plates she could find scattered about (just enough for the three of them) and proceeded to place their Bugaburger takeout on them.

After handing Nick and Finnick their meals, Judy went back to the cupboard and retrieved three glasses.

"What would you guys like to drink?" she asked sunnily.

"Water is fine with me," Nick said around a mouthful of food.

"Got any Jack Savage's?" asked Finnick; earning him a swat on the head from Nick.

"HEY! Watch it! I'd hate to have ta' add some black and blue to your color scheme!"

Nick chuckled. "You ought to know better than to ask for alcohol right now, Fin. What with the Fuzz here and all… besides, whiskey and painkillers don't mix well, _do they_?"

Finnick - still rubbing his head - offered only a nod and a queasy glance as a response.

Judy smiled, glad that the two were feeling well enough to joke. She turned from her guests, bent low and opened the mini-fridge that doubled as a stand for her microwave. After a quick glance, Judy felt her ears droop and frowned.

"Oh… right. I forgot that I've not been shopping in awhile, but..."

Grabbing a small orange jug, she turned back to the foxes with a sheepish grin.

"Either of you care for some Carrot Juice?"

Nick's laughter filled the building.

* * *

The evening carried on about as well as Judy expected it to: Nick casually blocked off any inroads she tried to make into the events of the night of the fire and the parties responsible, deflecting and diverting the conversation with an equally infuriating and mesmerizing charm. Judy's inner detective was telling her that Finnick wanted to get things over with and just spill the beans about the fire, but that even he - ill-tempered as the fennec might be - wanted to give Nick the space he needed to broach the subject himself.

Judy was positive that pushing Nick too hard right now might cause him to try and run off again, so she was more than willing to follow Finnick's lead here. But she was also painfully aware that mammal's memories, physical evidence and - in some cases - concern about the crime had a habit of becoming fading off into the inky well of time if left unaddressed.

Ever the optimist, though, Judy had pushed aside those thoughts for the moment and done her best to try and make her guests as comfortable as they could be in her small, cramped apartment.

And Judy had to admit, it was fun to have company. Ever since she'd moved up to Zootopia, the entirety of her focus and energy had been on her work. She was determined to make a difference, to change the world - a focus that left little time for relaxing and socializing. Recently, she'd keenly felt homesick for the Burrows; surrounded by hundreds of brothers, sisters, friends, and family it was impossible to feel isolated.

So Judy found herself listening intently as Nick was spinning a yarn about some crazy money-making scheme he'd had, once upon a time.

"I even made him a cute little costume - trunk and _everything_. We could have made an absolute _killing_ if mister "I-ain't-wearin'-no-stupid-elephant-costume" here hadn't been so afraid to hurt his pride."

"Oh, like _you_ would have done that, Nick," Finnick grumbled.

"Are you kidding? As strapped for cash as we were?" Nick scoffed. "You bet your sandy hide I would have - only it hardly works to try and pass me off as your son."

"I gotta give it to you - that plan _sounds_ pretty slick, Nick," Judy piped up, playfully punching Nick in the arm. "And I'm _sure_ you'd have gotten all the correct permits to sell food on the streets, right?"

"Of course," Nick grinned, "or else I might have had to worry about a certain rabbit-cop coming to read me my rights."

"And don't you forget it, Slick."

Finnick yawned loudly and said, "Ain't tryin' to be rude, but I need to get back down to the van and catch some Z's before you lovebirds start getting … acquainted. Which way to the elevator?"

Judy glanced sheepishly at Nick, who was busy glaring un-amusedly at the smaller fox.

"Oh, uh - go right from the door, take the first left and then the first right and you're at the elevator," she answered.

Finnick nodded and rose slowly from his chair with a grunt, careful not to land on his crutches too hard.

"Nick, come with me and help me put the mattress down and stuff," the fennec ordered.

Nick cocked an eyebrow and opened his mouth, but Judy spoke first.

"Are you sure you don't want me to -"

"No, no. It's okay. Nick knows how my van was before all this went down, so he'll go," Finnick said, shooting Nick a meaningful glance " _Won'tcha_ , Nick?"

Nick furrowed his brow and stared at the smaller fox, before nodding slightly.

"Uh, sure Fin. If you need the help."

Finnick growled something resembling a "thanks" before looking back to Judy and offering a faint, joking smile.

"And don't worry - he tries to disappear again and I'll run him over."

"Eh ... she found me once pretty easily, so I think it'd be more trouble than it's worth to try and shake her again," Nick said with an easy shrug.

Finnick scoffed. "Sure, Slim - _that's_ the reason you're gonna stick around."

Ignoring his friend, save for a shaking head, Nick opened the door and looked back at Judy.

"I'll be back in just a bit, Carrots… if you could find a spare pillow or a towel I can fold up, I'll make myself a place on the floor to sleep on when I get back."

A puzzled rabbit looked on as the door closed, leaving her alone.

Nick turned to see Finnick, a surprisingly good distance down the hallway for someone on crutches, trudging his way to the elevator.

Once Nick caught up, the larger fox opened his muzzle just in time for his diminutive friend to silence him with a single raised finger, which then pointed to the fennec's ears and then back at Judy's apartment door. Nick nodded in understanding and remained quiet until the two had climbed into the back of Finnick's van and the doors were firmly shut.

For a long moment, the two foxes were silent. Finnick stared at Nick, scrutinizing the larger fox before breaking the silence.

"Alright, Nick. Two things; one - help me get this thing cleaned up a bit so I can lay down. And two - " Finnick paused, and looked his lifelong friend dead in the eyes "you'd better not mess this up."

"What?"

" _Do. Not. Mess. This. Up_ ," Finnick repeated firmly. "Up there in that tiny cardboard box of an apartment is probably the only cop who's ever actually _cared_ enough to help mammals like us. She saved your tail not just once from an icy grave, but a _second_ _time_ from some Tails thugs, and you tried to run from her? What's the matter with you? Have you taken a minute from your drama-queen BS to consider how _lucky_ you are to have been given TWO second chances? That don't happen. Ever. Not when you're in the same lot we're in."

"Technically I only ran the one time -"

"Can it, Nick."

Finnick paused, his gaze turning distant for a moment.

"When I came to in the hospital, I knew you wouldn't be there if you could help it, so I wasn't too concerned for the first couple days - I knew you'd send me word somehow … only you didn't. I was losing my mind until she finally showed up and started askin' questions, tellin' me about how she pulled you outta the snow, fed you and housed you only a day or two before, but that you ran off …"

Finnick looked away from Nick, blindly staring out the front of his van.

"I don't know how you ain't got this through your thick skull yet, but that rabbit up there is the only mammal in this city whose last name ain't _Big_ who wants to help us get outta this mess."

Finnick paused for a moment, before fixing his gaze directly at Nick.

"I ain't never asked you for much, Nick, but for God's sake use those noisy flaps you call lips to tell her what she needs to know."

"Fin, I -"

"No. No excuses, Nick. I know you wanna try an' fix all this yourself, but you _can't_. Just look where tryin's got us this far."

Nick's gaze flitted to the pair of crutches leaning against the side of the van and then back to his friend, a flicker of guilt flashing in his eyes. A moment passed, and Nick took a deep breath.

"Ok, yeah … Alright, Fin. I'll tell her."

"You'd better."

Nick helped Finnick move the small mattress to where the fennec preferred to sleep, (the back - close to the door with his bat nearby) before climbing into the passenger seat and opening the door.

"Wait, Slim. Gimme my cigarettes and lighter outta the glove box."

Nick opened the glove box, pulled out a lighter and a previously opened box of cigarettes, and frowned at his friend.

"These things are gonna kill you, Fin."

"Not if the Tails do first. So I'll worry about quittin' after we're done with all this; _you_ worry 'bout tellin' Bunnycop everything she needs, capisce?"

Nick chucked the box and lighter to his friend.

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't fall asleep with one of those in your muzzle, alright? I'd hate for you to have to recover from _two_ fires."

Nick heard Finnick grunt his reply as he shut the door and went he back into the building. Entering, he was _almost_ sure that he caught a glimpse of a wisp of a white, fluffy tail duck around the corner, but he couldn't be sure if it belonged to Judy or not - other mammals did live here, after all.

Nick glanced up the stairwell, groaning as his torso still throbbed from his unfortunate encounter with the goons. The fox opted instead to lazily stand still while the elevator did all the work for him.

Just as Nick stepped into the elevator and the hydraulic doors shut, Nick could have _sworn_ he heard a door being hastily shut above him. Given how surprisingly protective Judy had been of him thus far, Nick couldn't help but smile at the thought of the rabbit dashing around to make sure he wasn't running off.

He arrived in front of Judy's door once again, stopping this time to chuckle at the carrot-themed doormat placed below it before knocking lightly.

"Carrots? You in there?"

"Yeah, come on in."

Nick re-entered the room, his gaze immediately falling to the curiously small makeshift sleeping pallet on the floor next to Judy's bed.

"Geez, Carrots, all I needed was a few pillows to be comfy - you didn't have to drag out all these extra covers."

"That's where _I'm_ sleeping, Slick. _You're_ taking the bed."

"I'm not gonna run you out of your own bed, Carrots -"

"You aren't running me out, Nick, I'm running you _in_ ," Judy said firmly, hands on her hips.

There was a moment of silence as Judy stared at Nick defiantly before she cracked a smile and began to laugh. Nick soon found himself chuckling along.

"I know you want me to have it, Carrots, but-" Nick began.

"No buts, Nick. Don't make me handcuff you to the bed..."

Another pause filled the room as Judy felt her face and ears boil over.

Try as he might, Nick could not stop himself. "Well now Carrots ... if you insist I don't think I'd mind…"

"W-wait, no! That's not how I meant for that to sound!" Judy's ears dropped behind her and her face fell into her paws.

"You sure, Carrots? I mean - that would _definitely_ ensure I didn't run off again." Nick said with a mischievous smirk.

"After that, _I_ might be the one to run off," Judy mumbled through her paws.

"Don't sweat it, Fluff, I'll _only_ tease you about it mercilessly."

"Oh Frith … Ugh."

A few moments passed as Judy wallowed in her embarrassment. When she looked back up, instead of the mocking grin she expected, she saw Nick sitting on the edge of her bed, nervously fidgeting his paws. He glanced up at Judy and gave a sad smile.

"Judy - I need to tell you about that night. Remind me in the morning when we're both well-rested, and I'll tell you whatever you need to know. You have my word."

Suddenly forgetting her mortification, Judy gave Nick an understanding look.

"Can-do, Nick." She smiled brightly. "Now, move so I can get to my spot."

* * *

Nick wasn't quite sure how much time had passed, but he was certain it hadn't been too long since they'd lay down to sleep. He could hear that Judy's breathing had evened out, meaning she was more than likely asleep.

 _Just a few more minutes, Nick. Then you can make your move._

Fighting off the tempting claws of sleep, Nick forced his eyes open until he was reasonably sure that Judy was in a deep sleep. Silently he rose from the bed, folded back the covers and ghosted over the sleeping rabbit on the floor.

Kneeling down beside her, Nick lightly snapped his fingers a few times in front of her face, ensuring that she was sleeping deeply. It was an old trick he'd learned; one he'd used to see if Judy was asleep when he left the first time.

Gingerly, he lifted one of Judy's eyelids and witnessed the pupil dashing from one side of her face to the other.

 _Perfect_ , he thought. _She's in the REM stage of sleep. Now's the time._

With great care, and minding his claws, Nick slowly lifted the covers and slid his arms under the slumbering rabbit, lifting her from the pallet of covers. He was surprised at how light Judy was; it didn't make sense rationally, but Nick had expected a strong, formidable, and larger than life mammal like Judy to be harder to carry.

Gently, Nick placed Judy onto her bed and pulled the covers up to her midsection, then turned to head to the recently-occupied pallet when a sudden tug on his tail made icicles of dread shoot down the length of his spine.

Fearing he'd been caught, Nick turned his head at a glacial pace as he heard the rabbit mumble something incoherent.

Luck seemed to be on his side, though, as he turned to find that sleeping Judy had apparently mistaken his fluffy appendage for a stuffed animal, snuggling into it with abandon.

Nick released a breath he didn't know he was holding in as he backed up to the bed and gently sat beside the rabbit, intent on waiting her out. The sleeping rabbit would not be deterred, however, and instead grasped at the new heat source to pull it in close.

For someone so small, Judy's grip around Nick's torso was strong. Try as he might, Nick quickly realized there was no way to disentangle himself from the rabbit's hug without crashing to the floor or waking her. Sighing in defeat, Nick glanced down towards Judy and saw a smile of pure, unadulterated contentment on the rabbit's face.

 _How can someone so fierce be that cute?_ Nick wondered.

Judy muttered something about alfalfa and nuzzled into Nick's side. Something in Nick's chest fluttered, and he gave in to Judy's insistent cuddle - twisting around to wrap the now-smiling rabbit in his arms.

Suddenly Judy turned in her sleep, releasing the fox from her back into a groggy awareness, Nick decided it would be best to spare Judy the embarrassment of waking up spooning with a male she barely knew and made himself a den in the covers on the floor.

 _Finnick's right,_ Nick thought as he drifted off to sleep. _She's too important for me to mess this up._


	8. Chapter VIII - The Fox Awakens

Chapter VIII - The Fox Awakens

 _Draft Author: Bummer_

As Judy was wrenched from sleep by the scornful blaring tone of her alarm, she couldn't help but marvel at how the alarm _still_ sounded like it was right next to her, despite the sleeping arrangements. Judy sat up, eyes still closed, and tried to ward off the all too tempting urge to pull her alarm to her body and slap the snooze button.

The rabbit had never had trouble rising early; life back home on the farm meant waking early in the mornings to get to work in the fields before the summer heat would set in. The demands of a rookie cop - late nights, graveyard shifts and mountains of paperwork, often taller than her - frequently left the rabbit so exhausted she fell asleep on her bed, still in uniform. Yesterday's excitement had similarly left her all too eager to sleep, and slow to pull herself up in the morning.

The rabbit yawned, stretched, and opened her eyes. Blinking in confusion, she quickly found that she was not in fact on the floor where she expected. Instead, where she expected to find herself lay a russet ball of fur and blankets wrapped tightly around a pillow.

Reaching over to quickly shut off the alarm, Judy was relieved to see Nick had not run off. The fox seemed to relax somewhat, nuzzling into the pillow in his arms with a stupid, albeit endearing, grin on his muzzle. It was all Judy could do to suppress a chuckle, but she couldn't stifle the "aww" that came out when he wrapped his bushy tail around the pillow.

Nick had been true to his word and stayed.

Judy felt a glow of pride and happiness in her chest that chased away any drowsiness. Nick had trusted her and stayed and had apparently cared enough about her comfort to switch places with her in the night. Any doubt that remained about Nick's character was laid to rest.

As touched as Judy was by Nick's trust, she felt a surge of annoyance - Nick had suffered way more than she ever had, and it was her intention to ease that, starting with simple things like a clean, comfortable bed. She would not be so easily cheated out of a gesture of simple kindness and decency.

The rabbit hopped onto the floor and walked over to where Nick lay, considering her problem. It was two-fold, she deduced: she would need to muscle Nick onto the bed, a feat of strength she felt capable of. And once that was accomplished, she would need to extricate the fox from the pillow he had wrapped himself around.

 _First things first_ , she thought. Judy reached down and grabbed Nick under each arm just below the shoulder. His fur was thick, warm and soft, Judy noted, not at all like her short, coarse coat of gray fur.

With a small grunt of exertion, she dragged the supine fox to the edge of her bed. She adjusted her grip and using the great strength of her legs hefted Nick's upper body onto the bed. As the fox's long, lanky torso came to rest on the mattress, he released his hold on the pillow.

 _Thank Frith you're a heavy sleeper,_ Judy mused.

She reached down and lifted Nick's legs onto the bed, pausing after to marvel at just how bushy the fox's tail was. In her fascination and slightly sleepy state, Judy failed to notice until it was too late. Nick's arms reached out and wrapped around her, gripping her tight. Judy was helpless as the still-sleeping fox pulled her close to his chest, sighing contentedly and wrapping his tail around the now-engulfed rabbit.

 _Oh, sweet cheese and crackers!_ Judy thought in a slight panic as she considered her options.

If she was too aggressive in her attempts to free herself from the fox's grip, it would undoubtedly wake him. And he would find himself wrapped around Judy, which just invited a whole new host of awkwardness she'd rather not deal with.

So Judy decided to wait a few minutes, hoping the fox would relax his grip as he fell deeper into sleep. Judy's initial surprise and panic faded. Nick's grip was comforting, in a way - not too tight, not too loose. Surrounded by the warmth of the fox, Judy relaxed and listened to the steady, rhythmic breathing above her.

Judy's eyes felt heavy, the temptation to fall back into sleep rising like a gentle tide. She fought to keep herself awake but felt a pang of disappointment when Nick's paws fell slack. Glancing over the side of the bed, Judy reached down and grabbed at the pillow Nick had been holding previously. With intense concentration, Judy began to slide her way out of the fox's grasp.

The rabbit was reminded of nothing so much as the opening scene to _Raider's of the Lost Bark_ as she slowly slid the pillow into her place.

 _Gently now, gently,_ she thought.

At last, she slipped free of the bed, turning quickly to see if she'd woken Nick. With a smack of his lips, the fox pulled the pillow in close and huffed out a satisfied breath. Though, happy as he still seemed, Judy could have sworn that a slight frown had developed on the fox's muzzle in her absence.

Judy stood, reached down for the bundle of blankets at the foot of her bed, and brought the covers over Nick. She looked down at the now soundly sleeping fox, smiled, and got ready to head to the precinct.

* * *

Nick was dreaming.

For the first time in decades, the fox was free from the dreamless void that usually constituted his time asleep. He only hoped that his dreams would be free from the painful, mocking nightmares that mixed precious memories with the all too raw sorrow and loss he'd suffered.

Nick was home. It was warm, and he heard the sound of his mother's voice humming a song from somewhere nearby. He felt the arms of his father around him, guiding his paws as he stared carefully at a small needle he was attempting to thread. John waited patiently, giving words of encouragement that turned to congratulations as the young Nick managed to at last hook the needle with a small strand of green thread trailing in its wake.

Nick had turned to his father and saw the older fox smiling proudly.

"Very good Nick! You've got an eye for the craft. At this rate, you'll be a better tailor than I am in no time!"

Nick laughed and feigned protest when his father ruffled the fur on his head.

"Alright, now let's see to this tear you made in your uniform," John said. "You should be more careful Nick, or you won't be able to wear this at your first meeting."

It had been an early birthday gift, the pristine, olive-green uniform, complete with crimson bandana. Nick had been elated, and it had been all his parents could do to peel him out of it. He'd spent the last two weeks studying the handbook, memorizing the oath, and preparing any way he could. His parents had been happy to humor him, as he led faux expeditions into the wilds of the living room, or scaled the mighty 'Couch Mountain'.

It was during the last mighty endeavor that Nick had caught the corner of his shirt on the coffee table as he fell, tearing the fabric slightly.

Nick had been crestfallen, on the verge of tears. His mother had scooped him up, comforted him, and promised that his father would mend the uniform that evening. And true to his wife's word, John had sat Nick on his lap, spread the torn shirt on the table in front of him, and asked Nick to help him thread the needle.

The thread now in place, Nick watched his father carefully measure out a length and cut the thread with a small pair of scissors. The older fox's blue eyes stared at the small tear in deep concentration as Nick looked on, enrapt. At last, the tailor poked the needle through and began to stitch the tear in small, precise movements. And pull after pull, the tear closed.

"There, good as new," John had said, lifting the mended shirt and studying it.

Nick felt elated, filled to the brim with happiness. He took the shirt in his paws and felt the fabric where the barely perceptible mend was. Nobody would be able to tell.

 _Not that it mattered._

The voice was flat, joyless and empty.

 _They didn't even look at the uniform. But they sure saw who … or_ _**what** __was wearing it._

Nick was puzzled, the voice was familiar but it wasn't that of either of his parents.

 _All they saw was a shifty, untrustworthy_ _**fox.**_

At last, Nick recognized the voice. It was his own.

The world lurched, Nick stumbled and found himself falling down a set of stairs into the dark, cold night. Behind him, an illuminated sign mocked him: Zootoopia Junior Rangers - Troop 914. He felt the panic, the shame, the sickening roil of despair deep in his stomach. And the cold, biting metal of the muzzle.

Nick clawed at his face, desperate to pull the cruel device off.

He had been such a fool, so naive. So stupid!

 _And they got to you, Nicky boy. They got to you. But you learned from this. The world is never going to see you as_ _ **anything**_ _more than just a fox._

Nick's vision blurred as the tears welled in his eyes, his clawing more frantic. He had to get this muzzle off, he _had_ to get away from the pain of the memories.

And then suddenly, he felt a pair of soft hands reach around his head and tug at the straps of the muzzle.

"Hold on, let me get this off you."

The fox blinked through his blurred vision and felt the muzzle - and the terrible weight of the world it existed in - lifted from him. He sniffed in shock and rubbed his tears away before looking up.

Right into the concerned eyes of Judy Hopps, his dream bunny.

Unable to speak, Nick could only stare until Judy spoke, "Come on Nick, you're so much more than this. I know it."

The rabbit reached out, and Nick took Judy's paw. She helped him to his feet, and Nick felt like he was floating.

And then Nick woke up for the first time in twenty years with a smile on his face.

* * *

Nick could tell he'd slept for a long time. Eyes closed, he could feel the warmth of the afternoon sun on his side where it filtered through the blinds of the windows. He sighed contentedly, relishing in the fuzzy comfort that comes with being half-awake. Soon he'd have to get up and face the day, but for now, he could pull the covers around himself, nuzzle into the pillow and-

Nick's eyes shot open.

He was lying in Judy's bed. That wasn't possible. He very distinctly remembered lifting Judy into the bed before he drifted off to sleep on the floor.

The fox raised himself to a sitting position and saw a pillow and rabbit-sized sleeping bag on the floor where he had fallen asleep. This didn't make any sense, he _knew_ he'd waited until Judy was asleep and switched places with her. She had been snoring her adorable little bunny snores and everything!

Sudden realization dawned on Nick; if he had been able to wait until Judy was asleep to switch, why couldn't she have done the same?

Nick felt a dumb smile spread across his face (an increasingly common occurrence lately) and began to chuckle. He imagined the small rabbit muscling his comparatively big, lanky form back off the floor, prompting his chuckle to grow into a hearty laugh that shook his slender frame. His bruises and sore muscles protested as he laughed, but he ignored them. The image was too funny, his situation so wonderful and absurd, and damn it - he hadn't had a reason to laugh in so long. He was going to enjoy this.

The fox's laugh grew, almost to the point of hysteria. Here he was, mere days after he should have frozen to death in the snow, cackling like a hyena at his good fortune.

"What are _you_ laughing at?" the gruff voice of Finnick called from the other side of the apartment door. "'Bout time you got up, sleeping beauty. Get your stuff together, I'm comin' in."

Nick stopped laughing and watched the door to the apartment fly open to admit the small, dusty brown fox.

"Rise and shine, dumbass."

"And a good morning to you too, big guy," Nick said through a stretch and a yawn. "So uh … where's Hopps?"

"She's got a job, unlike a certain pair of low-life foxes," Finnick said. The fennec climbed up a chair to sit on the edge of the desk that sat opposite the bed. "The rabbit asked me to keep an eye on you while she made 'inquiries' at the station."

"Inquires … about the Tails?" Nick asked, a knot forming where some breakfast ought to be.

"Dunno, but probably," Finnick grunted. "Didjya tell her?"

"Uh, no …" Nick said sheepishly. "But I promised to tell her in the morning."

Finnick looked pointedly at the clock which read 1:24 pm.

"Right …" the fennec said. "Well, she said she'd be back early. Let's hope she brings f-"

The fox paused mid-sentence, his large ears swiveling towards the door. Nick could just make out a chipper voice singing "Try Everything" as it steadily approached.

"Speak of the devil …" Finnick said. "If I were you Slick, I'd put some pants on before she opens the door."

* * *

 **Authors' Notes:**

 **Bummer: Our shields can't repel FLUFF of that magnitude!**

 **Nehkles: You know what would help with that? MORE PLOT.**

 **Bummer: … but, what about the fluff? THINK OF THE CHILDREN!**

 **Nehkles: Fine. Fluff now, plot later.**

 **Sarcasm: You can thank Bummer for this wonderful draft… and for not making it until this past week. About time he's pulled some weight around here.**

 **Bummer: So … how's** _**Demons** _**coming along there, friendo?**

 **Nehkles: Oh snap, he went there.**

 **Bummer: Don't start, or I'll ask about** _ **Remember**_ …

 **Nehkles: Yes, I'm sure** _ **Darkly**_ **will finish itself then…**

 **Bummer: O_O**

 **Sarcasm: Well, at least I'm not starting** _ **yet another**_ **story, unlike a couple other acquaintances of mine…**

 **Bummer: WHAT A PERFECT SEGUE! Nehkles and I started a Mass Effect crossover, thing … check out** _**Unexpected Eventuality** _**if that's your thing. No judgement.**

 **Sarcasm: Yes, because you two didn't have enough to not update already. At least I faithfully fail to update only** _ **one**_ **story.**

 **Nehkles: A fair point … And don't plug our stuff Bummer, this AN is long enough already.**

 **Bummer: You're right, we're running out of sp-**


End file.
